The Complexities of Human Interaction
by Random1377
Summary: Through an unusual set of circumstances, Hikari Horaki suddenly finds herself growing more familiar with the people she thought she knew.  -complete-
1. Contact 1: Will you Take me in?

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion – Studio Gainax does.  If they have a problem with me writing this non-profit fan-fiction, I will gladly remove it from the web.

The Complexities of Human Interaction

By Random1377

Contact 1: Will you Take me in?

Shinji Ikari glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall as he made his way towards the front door of the apartment.  "Three o'clock?" he mumbled, pausing to right himself as his equilibrium decided that 'prone' would be far better than 'upright.'  "I'm coming," he called quietly, "hang on."

He reached for the door, never expecting to see Hikari Horaki, his class representative, standing on the other side.

"Miss Horaki?" he asked, wondering if he was still sleeping.

The girl looked as if she had been thoroughly trounced.  There were two long scratches on her cheek, and a small tear on her dirty long sleeve shirt.  Her hair was in disarray, and her eyes looked haunted and slightly vacant.

"Ikari," she said quietly, her voice sounding thick and uneven.  "Is… Asuka here?"

Shinji's mind struggled to work.  "She's, ummm… no," he shook his head, "she and Misato are on duty tonight."

"Oh I see," the class rep replied listlessly, "well then… goodnight."

She turned away, sniffing slightly and wiping her eyes.  "Wait!" Shinji called, "Ummm… are you ok, Miss Horaki?"  He hesitated.  "Do you… want to come in?"

"It's kind of late," Hikari pointed out, sniffing again.

"Hmmm," Shinji nodded, stepping to the side and gesturing for her to enter the apartment, "well, I guess you'll have to sit in the living room until it's a reasonable hour, then go to the front door and knock again, k?"

Hikari frowned.  "What?"

"It's nothing," Shinji said lightly, "I'm just kind of loopy when I'm tired.  Come in, please… I don't think Asuka would forgive me if I let you wander around alone at this hour of night."  He jerked his head in the direction of the hallway.  "Come on," he said gently as she hesitated, "I'll get some alcohol for those cuts…"

Hikari nodded, covering the scrapes with her hand as she came into the apartment.  "I'm sorry that I woke you up," she apologized as they headed into the living room.

"It's ok," Shinji replied, making sure she was comfortable before heading into the kitchen to get the alcohol, "I was having bad dreams anyway."

"Really?" Hikari asked weakly.  "Well, still, it's pretty late…"

"It is that," Shinji shrugged, coming back into the living room with a small brown bottle and a handful of cotton balls.  He paused in the doorway, assessing her for a minute, then whispered, "Can I ask you what happened, Miss Horaki?  You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Hikari lowered her eyes as the boy came the rest of the way into the living room and sat on the couch, opening the alcohol and putting a cotton ball over the top.  "I had a fight with my sister," she said slowly, deciding that – considering the hour and the inconvenience – Shinji deserved an explanation.  "We've been kinda… at each other for a few weeks now, and it just all exploded tonight… so I… I left."

When she looked up, Shinji was wringing the excess antiseptic from the cotton ball, an expression of anger-tinged concern on his face.  "Did she do this to you?" he asked quietly, nodding towards her cheek.

"No!" Hikari replied quickly, "Oh no!  She's not… violent or anything, we just yelled and threw a couple plates…"  She chuckled sadly, "Dad's gonna be pissed."

"I see," the boy murmured, relaxing a bit.  "Here," he said, "this might hurt a little."

Hikari flinched slightly as the alcohol stung her skin.  "Don't apologize," she told him, closing her eyes as Shinji opened his mouth, "it was my own stupid fault… you have nothing to be sorry about."

"If it wasn't your sister, what happened?" Shinji asked, blushing as the girl opened her eyes and looked at him.  "Never mind," he said quickly, putting the cotton ball back on the bottle and tipping it up once more.  "You don't have to tell me if you don-"

"It's ok," Hikari cut in, putting her hand over his and turning the alcohol back over to keep it from spilling.  "After the fight," she whispered, closing her eyes once more as the boy rang the cotton ball out and reached for her cut, "I was so upset, I just ran… I ran all the way from my house to school.  I don't know why, since the place was all locked up and dark, but that's where I ran."  She hissed slightly as he gently wiped the longer scratch.  "Well," she sighed, "once I caught my breath, I started thinking of places I could go… and I kept coming back to Asuka, so I started over this way, and…"

"And?" Shinji prompted as she trailed off, blushing brightly.  "How did you get-"

"I tripped," Hikari blurted.  "Like, two blocks from here, I tripped over my own stupid shoe lace and fell into a bush!"

There was a moment of quiet, then Shinji – his voice very grave – replied, "Those bushes are tricky."

Hikari stared at him in absolute shock, then threw her head back and laughed.  "Ow…" she gasped, "ow, that hurts my cheek… don't… don't make me laugh, Ikari…"

"I'll try not to," Shinji said gently, wiping the last of the blood and dirt from her cheek and discarding the cotton ball.  "There," he declared, rising from the couch, "now let's get you something clean to wear."

Hikari looked down at her shirt, her laughter dying off as she noticed just how dirty she had gotten.  "Ikari?" she whispered, waiting until he looked back to her before asking, "Can I… use your shower?"  She smiled halfheartedly, "I know you can't loan me any makeup, but can I at least get clean?"  She lowered her eyes.  "I'm sorry I'm so much trouble."

"It's ok," Shinji smiled, "I'll just make you do the dishes for me."

Hikari stood, covering her mouth and trying not to hurt her cheek as she giggled.  "You're funny," she said happily, "I never knew that, Ikari.  You're totally different at school – how come?"  She hurried on as he looked away, a light blush on his cheeks.  "I mean, I… I'm having fun hanging out with you, and I never would have thought that could happen.  Why not be more-"

"I don't like it when a lot of people look at me," Shinji cut in awkwardly.  "I'll get you a towel."

Before Hikari could reply, he was gone.  Lowering herself to the couch, Hikari sighed.  "Let me just get this foot out of my mouth, Ikari," she grumbled darkly, barely resisting the urge to slap herself in the forehead.  "Remember that whole talk dad gave you about a right place and a right time for things?  Hey, guess what – this is neither."

She looked up as Shinji cursed.

"What's wrong?" she called.

"It's… well…"

Shinji came back into the living room a moment later, carrying a large, fluffy towel.

"Asuka's room is locked," he told her, his voice a bare whisper.  "I don't… I can't get any clothes for you."  He was obviously pained by this announcement, as he continued, his words coming faster in his distress.  "I mean… I just folded the laundry and put it away today, and there's only like, a dirty tee shirt in the hamper.  I could get something of Misato's… but all of her stuff has…" he blushed brightly, "holes in it, and anything I got would probably be too big, so… I…"

Hikari smiled reassuringly as he trailed off, fumbling to come up with another apology.  "Do you have any sweatpants?"

"Hmm?"

"Well," Hikari clarified, averting her eyes, "we're about the same size…"  When she next looked at the boy, she was alarmed to find his face a brilliant shade of red.  

"T-towel," he stammered, thrusting it straight out at her and pointing down the hall with his free hand, "b-bathroom."

Hikari nodded, wondering if her face was the same color as his.  _I can't blame him,_ she thought tiredly, _God… I just asked to wear his clothes – he probably thinks I'm a tramp.  You just don't DO that!_

She headed towards the bathroom, but paused as Shinji whispered, "I'll leave something outside the door for you…"

Several minutes later, feeling almost entirely human, Hikari made her way back into the living room, still drying her head with the towel and wearing a pair of dark blue sweatpants and a green tee shirt.  "Thanks, Ikari," she whispered warmly, smiling as the boy kept his eyes on the floor.

"Sure," he shrugged.  He hesitated, his eyes never straying off the floor.  "You can't sleep in Asuka's bed," he said finally, "and I don't think you want to sleep in Misato's… so I changed my sheets."  He managed a smile.  "I turned off the alarm too, so you can sleep as late as you wa-"

"Ikari!" Hikari cut in, shock evident in her tone.  "I can't take your clothes _and_ your bed!  That's… that's just not right!"  Her cheeks glowed a warm crimson.  "Be… besides… we're not even dating.  It would be… God, it would be so… improper!"

"I didn't mean I'd be there too!" Shinji gasped.

Oddly, this struck Hikari as funny.  "You don't know much about stuff like this do you?" she grinned, shaking her head as her voice took on a lecturing tone.  "It's not that you'd be there, Ikari, it's that _I_ would be there, do you understand?  It's not proper for a girl to be in a boy's bedroom."

"It isn't?" Shinji asked curiously, "Why not?"

Hikari blinked.  "It, ummm…" she bit her lip uncertainly, "it just isn't," she said finally.  "A girl's not supposed to sleep in a boy's bed unless she's related to him or married to him."

"Really?"

"Really."

Hikari's eyes went to the sheet and blanket the boy had laid out on the couch.  "I'll sleep there," she said firmly, smiling as he tried to protest.  "Thank you, Ikari," she whispered, bowing formally.  "For taking me in, and for showing me that people aren't always what they seem to be."

Shinji scratched the back of his neck, mumbling, "You're welcome," and starting towards his room.  Fifteen minutes later, he climbed back out of bed, drawn by Hikari's soft, hesitant call.  "What's wrong?" he asked, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he found the girl sitting up on the couch, the blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

Her face a study in misery and shame, the class representative barely whispered, "Will you sit with me for a few minutes… please?  You don't have to talk to me… just be here, ok?"  She looked up, her eyes heavy but frightened.  "I won't ask you for anything else, I swear…"

Shinji nodded, walking over and sitting on the floor next to the couch.  "I don't mind doing things for you, Hikari," he yawned, offering her a sleepy smile, "you can ask for…" he yawned again, covering his mouth and closing his eyes, "anything you need."

Hikari smiled as the boy folded his arms, resting his head atop them and yawning a third time.  "Anything I need?" she asked softly.

"Uh huh…" Shinji confirmed, his voice already growing faint, "any… thing…"

The young class rep wait for a moment until she was sure the boy was sleeping.  Then she leaned down, covering his hand with hers and putting her mouth right next to his ear.  "If I can ask you for anything," she whispered, smiling softly, "then I'm going to ask you to be my friend, Shinji.  I like the you that you showed me tonight, and I want to be friends with _that_ you…"

She sighed, squeezing his hand briefly before sitting up and rearranging her blankets.  Then she lay down on the couch, trying to get as close to the sleeping pilot as she could without touching him, and closed her eyes.  Slowly, she drifted off to sleep, soothed by his closeness, and warmed by his soft, gentle breath on her cheek.

Continued…

Hikari's Excess Baggage

Hiya! Hikari Horaki here.  I just wanted to take a second to introduce this section and tell you about this week's segment.  Hikari's Excess Baggage is a collection of cut material, extra scenes, and one-liners – some humorous, some serious – that have no real place in the main story.  I asked to be allowed to introduce each part because… well… it's my story.  Call it selfish if you want, but hey – I'm here now, so here we go.

This scene is just a light piece of WAFF that obviously did not fit with the tone of the story.  I mean, it's a good scene, I think, but… well, see for yourself.

_Begin segment._

Hikari smiled as the boy folded his arms, resting his head atop them and yawning a third time.  "Anything I need?" she asked softly.

"Uh huh…" Shinji confirmed, his voice already going faint, "any… thing…"

The boy's eyes sprang back open as a soft, tentative touch registered on his lips.

"Lie down with me, Shinji," Hikari breathed, giving him another feather-light kiss.  "I know that we're not that close, but I really need to have someone with me tonight."

Shinji simply stared as the girl draped her wrists over his shoulders and drew him closer, kissing him a third time.

"Why are you crying?" Shinji whispered, choosing to focus on the dampness on the girl's cheeks rather than the heat of her mouth.

"Don't ask," the girl replied brokenly, "just lie down with me and let me hold you, ok?"

Shinji did as he was asked, blushing brightly as Hikari's arms encircled him and she buried her face in his shirt.  "It's ok," he murmured, carefully stroking her back as she sobbed.

He held her until her tears trailed off into deep, even breathing, sensing somehow that the kisses she had given him were out of desperation and the need for closeness.  He knew that there would be no more in the morning, but that was ok… as long as she was happy, that was all that mattered.

_End segment_

See why it wouldn't fit?  Ikari's a great guy and all, and we had a lot of fun on the set of Survivors – especially with the kissing scenes (hey, that guy can kiss, what can I say?) – but this isn't Survivors, you know?  So this scene would have just been out of place… and you know, its a little cliché too, so I'm sort of glad it ended up on the cutting room floor.

Anyway, I guess that wraps it up for this chapter.  Make sure you read next week's installment – Will you Shelter Me?  I think it's gonna be a little longer, too.

See ya next time!

Pre-read of this contact was by Ryoma – star of stage and screen.

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	2. Contact 2: Will you Shelter me?

Disclaimer: see part 1 for full disclaimer.

The Complexities of Human Interaction

By Random1377

Contact 2: Will you Shelter me?

Hikari opened her eyes slowly, smiling as she inhaled.  "Mmmm…" she hummed, stretching languidly, "Western breakfast…"  She relaxed her body, staring up at the ceiling and folding her hands on her stomach.

"Good morning, Hikari," a quiet voice murmured, sounding as if it was coming from directly above her head.  "I'm glad you woke up.  I need to speak to you."

Hikari rolled onto her stomach, blinking as she found Shinji's guardian, Misato Katsuragi, sitting in the chair next to the couch.  "Good morning, Miss Katsuragi," she replied, rising to her knees and bowing awkwardly.  "Please forgive my intrusion."

"Forgiven," the purple-haired woman said quietly, "but I'm afraid I am going to need an explanation."  She raised a hand as Hikari drew a breath.  "Shinji told me the story," she said firmly, "or at least, what he's been told… but I want to know why, exactly, a fight with your sister means you ran halfway across town."

"It was a… pretty bad fight," Hikari answered.

"So I gathered," Misato returned dryly, examining her fingernails absently and frowning as if what she saw concerned her.  "But Shinji…" she leaned forward suddenly, resting her chin in her palms and lowering her voice.  "Let me tell you something about Shinji, just really quick," she said softly, "I trust Shinji.  I've lived with him for half a year, and I think, in spite of his shyness… or maybe because of it, that he's really good at observing people."

"Ummm, ok…" Hikari said uncertainly.

Misato pursed her lips, murmuring, "So when he tells me that the girl sleeping on my couch says she wants to be his friend – but says it when she thinks he's asleep – and that he's sure that she needs help… I kind of pay attention."

"He was faking?" Hikari asked incredulously.

"No," Misato grinned, "he's a light sleeper."  Her smile fell away as she sat back and folded her arms over her stomach.  "So tell me, Hikari," she murmured, "is he right?  Do you need help?"

Hikari bowed her head.  "I don't want to be an inconvenience, ma'am," she said quietly, "and Shinji's already been kind enough to let me sleep here… and borrow his clothes…"

"You didn't answer my question," Misato pointed out, narrowing her eyes.

"I just… need a couple days to sort things out," Hikari whispered, bowing as best she could, "please may I stay here, Miss Katsuragi?"

Misato's nostrils flared.  "I don't appreciate evasiveness, Miss Horaki," she said coolly.  "And I don't need your father knocking on my door with the police behind him, accusing me of harboring a runaway or trying to hold you against your will – you being here without his consent could be seen in a very bad light, Hikari, can you understand that?"

"I'll call him," Hikari assured her, keeping her head down and speaking in soft, non-aggressive tones.  "He'll understand."

The older woman looked the class rep up and down, biting her bottom lip as she took in the sweats and tee shirt that belonged to the Third Child… and thinking about responsibility and duty.

"If he gives his permission," she said firmly, "you may stay for a few days – just until you can get things worked out at home."  She rose to her feet, staring down at the girl in thoughtful silence before adding, "I trust Shinji… and in spite of what people think of him – Asuka included – he's not as weak as he looks… nor is he all that open with others."  She shrugged slightly.  "What I'm trying to say, believe it or not, is that you're getting to stay because he let you borrow his clothes.  He wouldn't do that for just anyone, Miss Horaki… I hope you can appreciate that."

Hikari nodded.  "Yes ma'am," she replied docily, "I do."  She smiled timidly, lowering her voice and adding, "And I meant what I told him… I do want to be his friend."

Misato smiled, glancing towards the kitchen.  "I'm glad," she whispered honestly, "he needs more friends."  Her smile faded as she reached into her jacket pocket, withdrawing her cell phone and presenting it to the girl.  "Call your father right now," she said quietly, "and I'll take you over there to get a suitcase together."  Her lips threatened to quirk into another smile as the girl took the phone.  "As cute as it is to have you scampering around the house in Shinji's hangout clothes, I think it would be more appropriate to have some of your own things while you're staying here."

The younger woman blushed, tugging absently at the bottom of Shinji's shirt to ensure that her midsection was covered.  "Asuka's door was locked," she explained lamely.

Misato laughed.  "Call your father," she chuckled, shaking her head, "Shinji's gotta go to NERV, so we'll drop him off on the way."  She winked.  "You can ride up front."

Hikari did as she was told, her blush intensifying as the Major stayed in the room.  "Hello, papa?  Yes…" she rolled her eyes, "no, papa – not this time.  I know that!"  She uttered a frustrated growl.  "No, papa!  Not this time!  If Kodama thinks she can… no, _no_ papa!  I'm staying with a friend.  Uh huh…" she nodded to herself, rubbing her eyes as if pained.  "Uh huh… yes, papa, I will.  I'm coming to get some clothes… I know… yes, I know, papa, but I can't be there right now."  She sighed.  "Thank you, papa… I'll be there in a little while…" she smiled softly.  "Yes, papa… I know.  I love you too.  Ok, bye bye."

"Well?" Misato asked, taking her phone and slipping it back into her pocket.

Hikari shrugged slightly.  "He wanted me to try and work it out with my sister," she said quietly, "but he understands that I need some space… so he's sending her out to do the shopping so she won't be there when I come."

Misato nodded.  "Sounds like a good man," she said gently.  "Let's get going… you can eat in the car."

The class rep shuffled her feet.  "I'm sorry I'm-"

"Oh don't," Misato cut in sharply, "don't start apologizing, please.  I said you could stay, you said thanks, let's drop it, alright?"

"Yes ma'am," Hikari replied uncertainly.

"And drop the ma'am."

Before the girl could reply, the Major was off, striding into the kitchen and telling Shinji that it was time to go.  _She's… strong,_ Hikari thought, smiling faintly as she heard Shinji vying for another minute to finish the sausages.

Three minutes later, they were on their way down to the car.  Hikari smiled at Shinji as he opened the car door… but after a quick, almost nervous glance at Misato, he simply slid into the back seat and fastened his belt, staring down at the floor in total silence.

_Strange,_ she thought, frowning as the woman got in and started the vehicle, _he looks embarrassed all of the sudden._  She stole a look in the rearview mirror, finding the boy keeping his eyes downcast.  _I don't get it,_ she thought, confused, _he was so open and funny last night, but now… now he's even worse than at school!_

She was forced to keep wondering, as the drive to NERV was silent.  She smiled again when Shinji climbed out of the car, but he simply hurried into the building, his head down and his fingers wrapped so tightly around the straps of his backpack that they were white from the tension.

They drove in silence for a few minutes before Hikari managed to ask, "Is Shinji mad at me?"

"Mad?" Misato echoed, "Why would he be?"

"I don't know," the girl confessed, "he just seemed really quiet."

"And you've known him how long, now?" Misato chuckled.  "That's just Shinji."

"But…" Hikari murmured.  _But he was so… so NORMAL yesterday!_

"I doubt he's mad," Misato said after a moment, swerving to avoid a car that was traveling too slow for her tastes.  "He's just not too adept at living."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hikari asked skeptically.

"Hell if I know," Misato winked, "it's just something a friend of mine said once."  She sighed.  "Seriously though," she mused, "it means that he's not so good at relating to others, and let's face it – you're a pretty girl… you slept in his house, and," she grinned happily, "you've already gotten into his pants, so-"

"Miss Katsuragi!"

Misato laughed out loud, delighted by the scandalized expression on the girl's face.  "Oh, you'll have to get used to that if you wanna live with me!" she exclaimed, pulling the car over and turning the engine off.  "But about Shinji," she said gently, "don't worry too much… I think he's just a little unsure about how to talk to you right now."

_That's not it,_ Hikari thought astutely, _he knew how to talk last night – hell, he made me feel like I belonged there, even though I woke him out of a dead sleep.  Twice!_

"I'll go up with you."

Hikari blinked, realizing that the older woman must have mistaken her thoughtfulness for hesitance.  "Ok," she said belatedly, figuring it was too late to decline, since the woman was already stepping out of the car.  Quickly, she followed, falling in step behind the woman as she headed straight up to the door.  "You don't have to knock," she said awkwardly, reaching for her keys.

"Because you'll use your telekinesis to open it?" Misato asked dryly.

Hikari blushed, her hands sliding over the smooth, pocketless leg of Shinji's sweats.  "Sorry…" she said sheepishly.

Misato grinned, knocking on the door and shaking her head.  "Forget it," she said easily, "just be quick, ok?  I've got to go get Asuka from NERV in a little while."  As they waited, she added, "I'm trying a 24 hour watch with the pilots.  Yesterday it was Asuka, today it'll be Shinji, and tomorrow, Rei."

"So Shinji won't be home for a whole day?" Hikari asked, feeling slightly crestfallen.

_Damn,_ she thought sadly, _and I was going to try to talk to him later – to see why he's mad_.__

She bowed as the door opened.  "Hello, papa," she whispered, stepping past him without meeting his eyes, "I'll only be a few minutes…"  Hurrying to her room, she gathered a week's worth of school outfits and underclothes, impulsively grabbing two casual outfits and her toothbrush, and stuffed them into a shoulder bag.  She cast a quick, suspicious glance at her sister's door, scowling deeply as she slung the bag over her shoulder and headed back down the stairs.

The sound of slightly strained conversation made her pause just inside the front door.

"…regardless," her father was saying, his voice slightly muffled since he had moved onto the porch, "I still feel that I must apologize."

"As I said, Mister Horaki," Misato's voice returned politely, "she's friends with two of my charges… it's no trouble at all to let her stay a week or two…" there was a brief pause, "or as long as she needs to."

"You are too kind," her father said apologetically, "I'm afraid… she's like her mother – very strong-willed and confident.  If she was the only one in the house like that, I don't think it would be an issue… but since her older sister is the same way…"

"I understand," Misato answered levelly, "but with all due respect, Mister Horaki… have you considered counseling for the girls?  I mean… it may not be my place to say this, but it seems to me that this type of all-out _war_ you're describing is a _little_ outside the realm of your normal sibling rivalry…" there was another pause.  "Pardon me for being so forward."

Hikari edged closer to the door, her jaw dropping open at her father's reply.  "I have scheduled psychiatric evaluations for all three girls, Miss Katsuragi," he said gravely, "not just because of this, but because they are all… hurt."

"Hurt?" Misato repeated.  "How so?"

Hikari's father sighed wearily.  "Yukino was taken from us when Nozomi was only four," he said slowly, "and all of the girls were very attached to her.  I'm afraid… I haven't been the best father, up to this point, and I don't feel that I can relate to them – do you understand?"  Misato must have nodded, Hikari reasoned, as her father continued.  "They're all so… angry," he said sadly, "even little Nozomi.  They try to hide it from me, but I can see it in their eyes every time they look at Yukino's picture.  I'm afraid that if I don't help them… they are going to hurt themselves…"

Quickly wiping her eyes, Hikari took advantage of the brief lull in the conversation to call out, "I'm ready!"

She stepped quickly onto the porch, looking from one adult to the other.  What she saw was very telling.  Misato's face went from sudden surprise to a pleasant smile so fast it actually made Hikari dizzy, whereas her father… simply looked embarrassed – as if he had been caught kissing the woman instead of talking to her.

"Shall we?" Misato asked lightly, nodding to Hikari's father.

Hikari felt a lump in her throat as her father returned the nod, his eyes flashing briefly with an emotion she never thought she would see.

Pity.

Slowly, the two women walked to the car and got in, making sure that their seatbelts were secure, and drove away from the Horaki house.

Continued…

Hikari's Excess Baggage

Hey, it's Hikari again.  Wow… things got kinda heavy at the end there, didn't they?  I mean… my own dad, sending me to see a shrink.  Too wild.

Well, this week's Excess is just a little scene.  At first I was going to see Nozomi on my way back from room, but if that happened, then it would have been unrealistic to think that Dad and Misato would still be talking when I got back, so it was cut out to get me back downstairs in time.  It was kind of short anyway, but here it is.

_Begin segment._

She cast a quick, suspicious glance at her sister's door, scowling deeply as she slung the bag over her shoulder and headed back down the stairs.

"Nozomi!" she exclaimed.

Her younger sister stood at the bottom of the stairs with one hand on the rail, glancing up at her with a small frown.  "Hi," she said quietly, lowering her eyes and starting up the stairs.

"Hey," Hikari said, crouching down to eye-level as the girl reached her, "Hey, I'm gonna be gone for a few days, so you gotta take care of dada, ok?"

Nozomi nodded.  "Ok," she whispered, frowning as she took another step and paused.  "Are you… going away like mommy?" she asked timidly.

Hikari flinched.  "No, honey," she replied, her voice thick.  "I'll come back, I promise."

In spite of her reassurance, the little girl did not seem comforted.  "Bye…"

Taking a deep breath, Hikari watched her sister make her way slowly up to the top of the stairs.  "Bye…" she whispered sadly.

_End segment_

I'm sure that Nozomi will turn up in another chapter, so for everyone that likes adorable little girls, don't worry!

Guess that about wraps it up for this chapter.  Look out for the next week's installment, titled:  Will you Protect me?  And this time I'm _sure_ it will be longer.

See ya next time!

Pre-read of this contact was by Ryoma, whose biggest complaint was that Hikari wears a seatbelt when she drives with the Major. :P

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	3. Contact 3: Will you Protect me?

Disclaimer: see part 1 for full disclaimer.

The Complexities of Human Interaction

By Random1377

Contact 3: Will you Protect me?

"Ow!" HIkari stuck her thumb in her mouth and sucked it gently, scowling at the pan as if it had been acting maliciously.  "Guessh thesh aren't the no-heat handle kind," she mumbled around the digit, casting around for a hotpad.  "Mishato shaid Ikari doesh all the cooking," she grumbled, "how doesh he schtand it?"

She blinked, taking a step back as a pattern suddenly fell into place.

"Ahhh…" she whispered, taking her thumb out of her mouth.  "I see it.  Knives and other sharps over here," she pointed to the left of the stove, "spatulas and wooden spoons here," a point to the right, "and hotpads and other miscellaneous stuff on this shelf right here."  She smiled happily and grabbed a hotpad.  "I should have known he'd have a system."

She hummed quietly to herself as she continued preparing dinner.  _I wonder what they eat at NERV,_ she mused, adjusting the flame on the pan and pulling out a skillet, "Probably jerky and soda," she giggled, "which explains why Ikari's getting a little soft around the waist!"

Thirty minutes later, she was in the process of arranging plates on the table when the sound of the front door opening reached her.

"Miss Katsuragi?" she called, "I hope you don't mind, but I thought I would cook some lunch for me and you and Asuka – is that ok?" She grinned as Asuka herself came into the kitchen, running a hand through her damp hair and tilting her head back to inhale the smell of cooking food that permeated the kitchen.  "Hey."

"Hey yourself," the redhead grinned, dropping into one of the kitchen chairs.  "It's just you and me – Misato had to go make sure wittle Shinji's all tucked into his EVA for the day."

"Oh be nice," Hikari admonished, "he helped me out last night."

"I was being nice," Asuka winked.  "So what's cooking?"

"I'm cooking American tonight!" Hikari declared.

"You're cooking Americans?" Asuka said blandly, "Make sure you add salt – and lots of it.  American's are at their best when they're salty."

"So you're like this at home, too…" Hikari sighed, still grinning.  "Ok, I'll be more specific – and no wisecracks, please.  I'm cooking a dish called Dirty Rice, which is from the American south.  I found a package of it in the back of the cupboards… kinda dusty, but still before the expiration date."

"Yeah," Asuka nodded, "dry stuff like that lasts forever… so that's it? Filthy rice?"

"Ooo!" Hikari growled, grabbing the spatula and brandishing it menacingly. "_Dirty_ rice… and no, that's not all – I'm making hamburgers too."

"Now you're talking!" the redhead exclaimed.  "Do you know how long it's been since I've had a _good_ hamburger?"  She leaned back in her chair, sizing Hikari up.  "So," she said, her tone changing to business, "did you kick her a-"

"No," Hikari cut in smoothly, "we got into it about… well, you know," she hurried on as Asuka nodded, "and she started yelling and calling me… bad things, and I threw a plate at her."

"Gotta work on your aim," Asuka nodded sagely, "so after that, you came here and got naked with Shinji… you perv."

"Hey!" Hikari cried, blushing brightly, as she glanced down at Shinji's shirt.  "It's not like that – and _you're _the pervert for even thinking it!"

"Hikari?"

"Huh?"

Asuka's grin turned sly.  "I hope you're at least wearing your own pan-"

"_Stop!_"

The redhead laughed.  "You're so timid," she chuckled, "you blush even if I just say pan-"

"Don't!"

Asuka's grin grew exponentially.  "What?" she said innocently. "Pant-"

"I mean it!"

"Pan-"

"Don't!"

"Panti"

"Asuka, come on!  That's… personal stuff!"

Asuka drew in a deep breath.

PenPen, Misato's penguin, yawned as he waddled into the kitchen.  _Can't you people keep it down?_ he thought, glancing up at the two noisy teenagers, _I mean really…_

From where he was standing, the argument looked playful enough – what with both of the girls laughing as the dark-haired one chased the other around the table… but he could not fathom why on earth the one he thought of as 'The Loud One,' was chanting, 'panties, panties, panties, panties,' as she ran. 

Walking under the table so as not to be trampled, the penguin made it to his refrigerator and opened the door, taking a final look back over his shoulder as the two girls collided, holding onto one another as they gasped for breath and continued laughing.  _Kids…_

"You're… such a… pervert…" Hikari panted, smiling happily as she clutched at her friend for support.

"Hey…" Asuka returned, sounding just as winded, "I'm not… the one… wearing Ikari's clothes…"  She grinned, "I thought… you liked… Suzuhara…"

"I… I do…" Hikari admitted, leaning back on the table and folding her arms as she regained her breath, "but Ikari's not so bad, I mean-"

"You can't have them both," Asuka grinned, flipping her hair off her forehead.

"Come on!" Hikari sighed, "Give me a break!  I just… you always told me Ikari was kind of a loser, and he was really nice."  She shrugged, "I just want to get to know him a little better, that's all."

A faint frown flickered over Asuka's face, disappearing before it even registered in Hikari's consciousness.  "He _is_ a loser," she said coolly, "but hey, do what you want – only don't blame me if you end up with three kids out of the deal, _Misses_ Ikari."

"Why are you being like that?" Hikari asked, averting her eyes.  "I'm not going to marry the guy – just be friends with him… what's the big deal?"

"Can we not talk about him?" Asuka said with some exasperation.  "Feed me, woman!"

Hikari hesitated, not quite sure how to handle the quiet hostility she had sensed from the mention of Shinji's name.  "Ok, sit down," she finally sighed, "just don't think I'm cooking all the time!"

Asuka nodded, slipping into one of the chairs and resting her chin in her palms.  "How long are you staying?" she asked curiously.  "And you _are_ sleeping in my bed, right?"

"Well," Hikari said slowly, taking one of the plates and dishing up some rice, "the couch-"

"Nnnnnnnnot!" Asuka cut in.  "You're not sleeping on the couch.  I have a queen-sized mattress – not a crappy futon, either, a _real_ bed… so you're with me."

"Thanks…" Hikari whispered, smiling warmly.

"Yeah, yeah," Asuka waved a hand, her grin returning as she added, "unless you want to sleep in Shinji's bed, in which case-"

"Hey!" Hikari grumbled, "_You_ were the one that wanted to stop talking about him!"

"Ok, ok," Asuka rolled her eyes, "just don't keep me up all night with-"

"Arrghh!!"

"Your snoring…" Asuka finished, offering Hikari an innocent smile.

"Eat your lunch," Hikari grumbled darkly, trying to look as menacing as she could, "or I'll tell Shinji you want to kiss him!"  She blinked as Asuka muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, 'been there, done that,' and nodded. 

_She's different too,_ she thought as she prepared the redhead's meal, _she's not usually this caught up on… on sex – or Shinji.  Am I just blind at school, or do they just put on masks when they leave home?_

She received no answers to her questions as she got a plate for herself and the two began eating.  The conversation over lunch revolved mostly around other people at school, from the latest dating news ("No – with Arima? Really??") to hints of the next math exam ("I hate that non-linear crap!!") to what they might wear on a date if one of the _really_ cute seniors invited them to a dance ("Remember that black dress?  Yeah, of course I'd loan it to you!") and finally around to talk of a nap.

"I'm beat," Asuka yawned, pushing her plate back.  "That was really good."

"Thanks!" Hikari beamed, "Let me get this stuff in the dishwasher and we can go hang out in your room."

"Sounds good," the redhead nodded, "But do me a favor?"

"What's that?"

Asuka's nose wrinkled.  "Change."

Hikari looked down at her outfit, frowning slightly.  "I… don't have a lot of stuff with me," she said reluctantly, "is it really that big a deal?"

"Fiiine," the redhead grumped, "just… try not to look down the front of my shirt, or the similarity might be too much and I might slap you."

Hikari's eyes widened.  "Ikari… he does stuff like that?!"

"All the time," Asuka nodded with some satisfaction, "I'm surprised he hasn't tried to sneak into my room and cop a feel yet."

"Asuka!"

Hikari's mind was reeling.  _He could have… done that to me last night!_ She thought, plucking at the sleeves of the boy's shirt, _I never knew he was like that…_

Still trying to reconcile the Shinji she had spoken with last night and the Shinji Asuka was describing, Hikari followed the girl into her room… where she was regaled with more tales of Shinji's perversity, finding herself more and more thankful that she had such a protective, kind-hearted friend in Asuka.

By ten o'clock that evening, Hikari was thoroughly convinced that she should never, ever be alone with Shinji Ikari…

Continued…

Hikari's Excess Baggage

Hiya.  Hikari here again, putting the finishing touches on the latest chapter.  Today we've got a lighter exchange for you.  This was never really part of the story – we just kind of improved it on the set.  What can I say: it was late… we were tired… Asuka started it, and we just kept it rolling.  So here it is.

_Begin Segment._

"Hey!" Hikari grumbled, "_You_ were the one that wanted to stop talking about him!"

"Ok, ok," Asuka rolled her eyes, "just don't keep me up all night with-"

"Arrghh!!"

"Your screaming…" Asuka finished blandly, ignoring the girl's look of shock.  "I mean – once you see that kid's teeny little thing, you'll be screaming, 'Asuka! Save me!  Please, I'm begging you!!'"

A slow grin spread over Hikari's face.  "You sound like you're talking from experience," she said lightly, "why are you looking at Ikari?"

Asuka shrugged.  "I just caught a glimpse when we had a sync test," she said easily, "a _little_ glimpse… you know what I'm saying?"

Hikari giggled.  "I'm sure it was an accident," she laughed, "but maybe if you asked, he'd let you get a better look."

The redhead leaned back in her chair.  "No thanks," she said emphatically, "if I want Vienna sausages, I'll get them in a can."

Hikari exploded into laughter, unable to keep from throwing her head back.  "B-but," she stammered.

"No," Asuka corrected, "no butt."  She grinned as her friend collapsed on the table, roaring with laughter.  "Ok," she said, standing up and stretching, "I don't know about you guys, but I think we're done for the night.  Call it a wrap?"

"Cut!"

_End Segment._

There you have it – just a little silliness between Asuka and me.  Well, I guess that's it for now, but be sure to stop by next week for the next chapter – Will you Understand Me?  And this time I _know_ it'll be longer!

See ya next time!

Pre-read was by Ryoma, who said – and I quote: "Hikari is so cute!"

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	4. Contact 4: Will you Understand me?

Disclaimer: see part 1 for full disclaimer.

The Complexities of Human Interaction

By Random1377

Contact 4:  Will you Understand me?

Monday morning was bright and clear, making the walk to school seem all too short to Hikari.  _Asuka's__ bed was nice,_ she thought with a sigh, _man, why couldn't her door have been open that night?!  _She frowned as they approached the school.  _Maybe he was lying…_

She made her way into the classroom, Asuka at her side, and took her seat.

"I thought Misato said it was twenty-four hour watches?" Asuka asked sarcastically.

Hikari blinked, looking up as Shinji walked through the door.

"She said I couldn't miss school," he said quietly, "I was on for twenty-one, though."  He glanced at Hikari, offering her a timid wave.  "Hi Miss Horaki…"

_Pervert!_ Hikari's mind screamed as she sniffed and turned away, _I can't believe you treat my friend that way!  And what did you try with me while I was sleeping??  You make me sick!_

"Ikari," she whispered coldly, folding her arms.

Unable to resist seeing the reaction on the dirty-minded boy's face, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes.  She blinked as she found him not outraged, or slyly considering how she had figured him out… but rather…

_Crushed… he just looks crushed…_

Not quite sure what happened, she watched in silence as the boy slowly made his way to his desk and sat down, an expression of tired knowing on his face – as if he was thinking, 'I should have seen that coming.'

She shook herself as the teacher came in.  "Everyone rise," she called, "bow… be seated."

_What was that look?_ She thought as she took her own seat, _Asuka__ said he was ALWAYS thinking about sex, so I don't see why he's surprised that I don't approve!_

For the entire class period, she tried to figure out what Shinji's game was, stealing quick looks at him from time to time – fully expecting him to be staring at her, or one of the other girls in the class… but he simply stared straight ahead a blank, weary expression on his normally neutral face.

"Class rep?"

She blinked as the bell rang.  "What is it, Miss Sansui?" she asked calmly.

"Can you help me with this problem?" the shorter girl asked, her tone sounding rather petulant and whiney.  "I can't figure it ooout."

"Of course…"

She bowed her head to look at the problem, and when she looked up Shinji was no longer at his desk.

"Where's Ikari?" she asked, turning in her seat to look at Asuka.

The redhead shrugged.  "Hell if I know," she said dismissively, "the other stooges dragged him off somewhere."

"Oh."

Hikari spent the rest of the day with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as her trust in her friend's judgment warred with her personal experiences with Shinji.  When Shinji and his friends Touji and Kensuke did not return, she began to grow concerned.

"Don't sweat it," Asuka mumbled, "not like any of them add to class time – or hadn't you noticed how quiet it's been today?"

"I… I guess so," Hikari admitted.  When class finally ended she said, "I'll catch up, ok? I have to clean today."

"See you at home," Asuka said, abruptly grinning, "I'll make sure pervy cooks something good for us."

The light tone of the girl's voice only increased Hikari's unease, but she nodded, waiting until all the other students streamed out before slowly rising.  "She knows what she's talking about," Hikari murmured to herself, gathering some discarded papers, "but he was… so nice – I don't get it…"

_He's probably just acting that way to catch me off guard again,_ she reasoned, biting her lip at her own analysis, _that fits, I guess, but…_  She turned, finding one of the desks in the classroom still occupied.

"Ayanami," she said calmly, hiding her surprise with practiced ease, "is there something I can do for you?"__

The enigmatic girl considered this question for a moment.  "You are busy," she said softly, rising to her feet, "it is unimportant."

_Oh no you don't!_ Hikari thought angrily, _you're not getting away that easily!_

"I've got a minute," she said smoothly, stepping into the aisle between the desks and blocking the other girl's path, "so what is it, Ayanami?"

Rei glanced around, trying (Hikari guessed) to find an escape route.  When nothing presented itself, she met Hikari's eyes.  "I merely had a question," she whispered.

"Yes?" Hikari pressed, refusing to let the normally quiet girl escape with vagueness and silence.

"I was wondering… why you are being cruel to Ikari."

The class rep frowned.  "I'm not," she said coolly, eyeing the girl closely, "I'm treating him like he deserves to be treated."

"I see," Rei said softly, "my apologies for wasting your time."

Hikari folded her arms, arching an eyebrow and continuing the conversation in spite of the blue-haired girl's obvious desire to see it end.  "Don't you think _you_ should be a little worried that you're working with a peeping tom like that?"

"I do not understand," Rei said quietly, apparently seeing that she was not going anywhere until the other girl decided to let her, "Ikari has never been inappropriate."

"Well…" Hikari said slowly, thrown off by the First's calm certainty, "maybe he just hasn't had a chance to do anything that you could catch him doing."

Rei tilted her head to the side.  "You are incorrect," she whispered, "when Ikari delivered by newest access card to me, I was alone in my apartment, and I was undressed."  Hikari's eyes widened as Rei concluded, "Ikari averted his eyes, as was proper, and apologized for his intrusion."

"He… he might have… stolen a look…" Hikari stammered, now completely unsure of what to believe.

"No," Rei said coolly, "his back was to me, and there are no reflective surfaces in my apartment."  She frowned slightly.  "I do not normally engage in conversations like this," she murmured.

_Wow,_ Hikari thought dizzily, trying to sort things out, _really??_

"But since you seem to be… misinformed, I will also mention that Ikari is larger than me, and physically superior, and he had ample opportunity to overpower me had he the desire."  She bowed slightly, "I mean no disrespect in correcting you, Miss Horaki," she said quietly, "I hope you do not find my behavior inappropriate."

"N-no…" Hikari managed, stepping to the side, "not at all… thank you for the information."

A simple nod was her only reply.

Hikari hesitated as the blue-haired girl stepped past her, then called, "Ayanami."

Rei glanced over her shoulder.  "Yes?"

The class rep assessed the other girl.  _I need to know what's right…_ she thought quickly, _I… I've always trusted Asuka…_

"What do you think of Shinji?"

Rei seemed unsurprised by this question, but hesitated before replying, "My opinion of him is not important."

"Please," Hikari said quietly, "I really want to know."

Rei considered this for a moment before nodding.  "He is a good person."

"You don't think that maybe… he's just pretending to be?" Hikari asked slowly.  "I mean, he could just be-"

"No."

Hikari blinked.

"My opinion of him is that he is a good person," Rei repeated calmly.

"I see."

The blue-haired girl waited for a moment, then turned and moved towards the door, pausing only to say, "Goodbye," before slipping out.

"Yeah," HIkari said belatedly, "see ya…"

Slowly, she continued cleaning the classroom, considering all that she had been told.  _Ayanami__ could just be unobservant,_ she thought as she arranged the desks to sweep the floor, _but… she's always so attentive in class, and she gets good grades, so I know she's paying attention here.  How could she make a mistake like that with someone she works with?  But Asuka's never lied to me before… it just doesn't make sense…_

Sweeping the floor, she sighed.

"So who do I believe?" she whispered, resting her chin on the broom handle, "my best friend… or the silent girl that spends the whole day looking out the window?"

She continued sweeping.  _Or do I believe what I feel?_

With an aggravated cry, she threw the broom to the floor.  "Damn it!" she growled, "Why is this bugging me so much?!  I hardly know Ikari – why should I care one way or the other?  Yeah, he was nice… but if he's a pervert, shouldn't I stay away?  But what if he's _not_?  What if Asuka… damn it!!"

Forcing her thoughts of Ikari to the side, she sat on the floor.

_Besides,_ she thought glumly, _I've got other things to worry about… like Dad thinking I'm crazy…_

Taking a deep breath, she cleared her mind entirely, concentrating on her task until it was complete.  Nodding in satisfaction, she gathered her book bag and headed for the door, returning to her current home in thoughtful silence.

Continued…

Hikari's Excess Baggage

Hey there, Hikari again.  Wow, Contact 4 ends with a whole lot of uncertainty!  What IS a girl to do??  Aaaanyway, this week in Excess Baggage we've got a little extension to the last scene.  Kinda spooky, but I think you'll like it, and this is _definitely_ not part of the regular story – or I'd be outta here!

_Begin Sequence._

Taking a deep breath, she cleared her mind entirely, concentrating on her task until it was complete.  Nodding in satisfaction, she gathered her book bag and started towards the door… but she came up short as her eyes reported a quick flash of red just outside.  Blinking, she hurried to the door and threw it open, but there was no one on the other side.

She listened intently, holding her breath and expecting to hear the sound of stealthy, retreating footsteps, but again – there was nothing.  "Maybe I _am_ going crazy," she muttered, slinging her bag over her shoulder and shaking her head.

Slowly, she began walking, her footsteps echoing off the walls as she moved.

"Where is everyone?" she whispered, stopping for a moment and looking around the darkened halls, "I can't be the last one here!  I know the seniors have activities…"

Taking another look around, she raised her foot… and froze as another echoed behind her.

"Who's there!?" she demanded, spinning on her heel and glaring at the empty hall.  "This isn't funny!  Ayanami, is that you?  I saw you, you know!"

Silence.

"Whatever!"

Angrily, the class rep turned and began walking.  _There it is again,_ she thought, walking a bit faster as another step echoed behind her, _man, ask a couple questions about Ikari and she turns into a robobitch!_

"I know you're there!" she shouted, turning again, "Why don't you come out and-"

"Miss Horaki?"

Hikari screamed as a hand landed on her shoulder.  "Ayanami!" she gasped, turning to find a pale girl standing behind her, "Don't do that!"

"You left this in the classroom," the girl said softly, offering Hikari a picture.

"I did?" Hikari asked, taking the photo and frowning, "But how did you-" she looked up, cutting herself off as she found the hallway empty.

Clutching the picture to her chest without looking at it, the class rep bolted, never looking back as the echoing footsteps began their pursuit, seeming to grow closer and faster with every step she took.  With a desperate cry, she lowered her head and ran flat out, her lungs burning as she gasped, 'no' over and over, trying to ward off whatever evil was pursuing her.

With the exit in sight, her feet betrayed her, sending her sprawling to the linoleum with a terrified cry.  Sobbing in fear, she rolled onto her back, ready to lash out with her foot at her mysterious follower… but there was nothing.

Sobbing and laughing at the same time, she sat up.  "Imag…ination…" she gasped, wiping sweat from her brow, "just my… imagination…"

Finally catching her breath, she remembered the picture the pale girl handed her.  Smoothing it out from where her desperately clutching fingers had wrinkled it, she turned it over… her eyes going wide at what she saw.

"N-no…!"

Her desperate sob would be the last sound she ever made, for the picture showed her… on her knees… in the very hallway she was currently in.  Behind her, her lips curved up in a vicious, leering grin, was the girl Hikari had mistaken for Rei, though now that she could see the picture, she could see that the girl's eyes were a plain brown, and that her neck had a jagged cut running its length.

In the girl's right hand, poised to strike, was a wickedly curved dagger, its edge rusty and pitted with what looked like old, dried blood.  Swallowing… praying to God that this was some incredibly elaborate, evil prank… Hikari turned… and found that it was not.

_End Sequence._

Whew… so you can see why I'm glad this was just an extra little scene.  They _did_ get Rei to play the psycho-spirit, though – I mean, the scene wouldn't have worked otherwise… but man, the director had to do some smooth talking.  Poor Rei couldn't stand the idea of seeing me that scared, even if it was just an act.

That's it for this time, but be sure to check out next week's contact: Can I Try Again?  And I _promise_ it'll be longer this time!

See ya next time!

Pre-read was done by Ryoma – who wanted to see more blood.  *Shrug* weirdo. ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	5. Contact 5: Can I Try Again?

Disclaimer: see part 1 for full disclaimer.

The Complexities of Human Interaction

By Random1377

Contact 5:  Can I Try Again?

Dinner, Hikari decided, did not taste as good when it was seasoned with guilt.  True to her word, Asuka had talked Shinji into making a fantastic meal… but every time she glanced at the boy, frowning as he simply pushed his food around on his plate, Hikari was faced with the same question:  Who is he?

Was he Shinji the introvert, keeping quiet and slouching in his seat at school?  Shinji the savior, gently cleaning her wounds and letting her sleep in his clothes and then going off to slay angels with a smile?  Or Shinji the pervert, peeping at Asuka (and possibly her) every chance he got?

"Well," Misato said suddenly, drawing everyone's attention as she pushed back from the table, "I don't know about you girls, but I'm stuffed.  Thanks Shinji… that was really good."

The brown-haired boy nodded.  "Are you leaving?" he asked quietly, not looking up from his plate.

"Yeah," Misato yawned, "got some stuff I gotta take care of at NERV, so don't wait up."  She smiled at Hikari.  "And you two – no ganging up on Shinji!  I know what it's like when friends hang out, but he's got homework to take care of… so no tormenting, k?"

Hikari blushed.  "Yes ma'am," she said quietly, stealing a look at Asuka – who looked decidedly put out.  "We'll just stay in Asuka's room."

Asuka rolled her eyes as Misato glanced her way.  "Fiiiine," she sighed, "who would want to waste time with him anyway?"

Hikari frowned as the older woman blinked, seemingly taken off guard.

"Well," Misato said smoothly, "I guess… I'm out of here, then."

Asuka rose to her feet and put her plate in the sink as the woman made her exit.  "Come on Hikari," she said excitedly, "I wanna show you this new outfit I got."

The class rep hesitated, biting her lip pensively and looking down at the remains of dinner as her friend walked out of the room.  "I'll take care of your plate," Shinji said after a quiet moment, reading her delay as uncertainty.

"Hi_kari__!_"

Hikari jumped as Asuka's shout reached her.  "R-right," she stammered, standing and walking out of the room with a confused backward glance.

_No,_ she thought, _something doesn't add up…_

She tried to relax and enjoy herself as she spent time in her friend's room, but thoughts of the brown-haired boy continued to surface in her mind.  Two hours after dinner's conclusion, Asuka announced that she was going to take a bath.

"Just stay in here," the redhead advised, "there's no telling what might happen to you otherwise, you know?"

"Right," Hikari agreed, nodding her understanding.

She waited until she heard the water running in the bathroom to climb off of Asuka's bed and head into the kitchen, determined to figure out which of the Shinji's in her mind was the real one.

"Hey."

Shinji's face registered a mixture of fear and wariness for a moment before settling into a collected, noncommittal expression as he glanced up from his homework.  "Hello, Miss Horaki," he said quietly, looking back to the paper in front of him.

"What'cha working on?" Hikari asked lightly, taking the seat next to him and cradling her chin in her palms.

"English," Shinji said quietly, scribbling a note in his textbook.

"That's a pretty tough subject," Hikari observed, "English is hard to translate…"  She paused, waiting for a reply.  When only a nod was forthcoming, she ventured, "Need any help?"

Shinji shook his head.  "No… thank you."

The class rep frowned, leaning a bit closer to allow the front of her shirt to part slightly.  _Just to check!_ She thought, hoping she was not blushing.  _Just… to make SURE._

Shinji looked up at the movement, then blinked and looked hurriedly away, his cheeks reddening as he closed his notebook and stood.  "D-do you want a drink?" he stammered, fumbling for the refrigerator handle.

"No," Hikari shook her head, a sudden feeling of foolishness washing over her as she leaned back and refastened the top button on her shirt.

The boy retrieved a can of soda from the fridge and started towards the living room.  "I'll just… you can… I'll go…" he stammered, his fingers struggling to work their way under the pop top.

"Wait…"

Shinji gasped as Hikari's hand shot out, catching him around the upper arm.  "W-what is it, M-miss Horaki?" he managed, keeping his eyes averted.

"Well, for one thing," Hikari said quietly, "you can use my first name."

The boy swallowed.  "I don't think you want me too…" he whispered, running a finger nervously around the rim of his drink.

"Shinji."

The Third Child tensed.  "Yes?"

"I'm sorry," Hikari said gently.  "I've been… a real bitch today.  Can you forgive me?"

Shinji finally turned his head, his eyes wide as he gaped at her.

The class rep offered a tentative smile.  "I'm sorry…"

The boy averted his eyes.  "It's ok," he said quietly, looking at her hand for a moment, then back to the floor, "I know you were just tired when you said that… I won't hold you to it."

Hikari's brow wrinkled.  "When I said… oh!  You mean about being friends??"

Shinji shrugged minutely.  "Like I said," he murmured, "I know you were tired…"

"But…" Hikari found herself at a loss for words as she slowly pulled her hand away.

_That's why he was avoiding me yesterday!_ She thought suddenly, _He's afraid I'll think I'm obligated to be his friend or something… God, he's so…_ her thoughts trailed off as the boy began moving towards the living room.  She stood up quickly, meaning to tell him that she meant what she said, but as she rose, her hip glanced off the edge of the table, sending a blast of sharp, jagged pain through her and throwing her off balance.  She stumbled, her mind whispering, _Always the graceful one,_ as she wavered.

"Are you ok?"

Hikari took a deep breath as Shinji hurriedly dropped his soda and reached out, steadying her by putting his hands on her shoulders.  "No," she said honestly, her voice betraying the pain she was feeling, "that really hurt."  She smiled as Shinji reached to touch her, then quickly pulled his hand back.

"Sit down," he said, turning red once more, "I'll get some ice for that."

"Why is it," Hikari said softly, reaching out and taking his hand, "that you're always there when I get hurt?"

For the first time since she had shown up at his door, Shinji gave her that elusive, playful smile.  "Just lucky I guess," he shrugged, blushing as she squeezed his hand.

Hikari released him, covering her throbbing side with her palms and managing a smile as she sat back down.  "I guess I am," she said softly.  "Ice would be great, Shinji, thank you."

The boy smiled again… and Hikari knew which Shinji was real.

She leaned back in her chair, waiting patiently for him to get the ice.  _Why, then?_ She thought suddenly, _Why is Asuka acting like that?  All those times she said he was looking at her… those must have been accidents._  She blinked as another thought occurred to her.  _Unless she was making it up – but why would she do that??_

"Here," Shinji returned to her side, offering her a plastic bag full of crushed ice, "this should make it feel a little better."

Hikari took the bag, pressing it against her side with a pained hiss.  "I'm ok," she assured the boy as he averted his eyes and apologized, "just… whacked it harder than I thought."  She studied his face for a moment, an odd idea forming in her mind as she heard the bathroom door open.  "Look at it for me, can you?"

Shinji immediately took a step back.  "I don't think I should," he said quickly, "I mean-"

"Just for a sec," Hikari pressed, standing up and turning to the side, "it feels like it's right on the hipbone, so I can't really see how big a bruise I'm going to have unless I have a mirror.  Just real quick, ok?"

The boy nodded reluctantly, and stepped over to her, fidgeting slightly as she pulled her shirt up two inches to reveal her side.  "Doesn't look that bad to me," he said slowly, putting his hand on hers and starting to pull her shirt back down for her, "it shouldn't be a big-"

"What are you _DOING?!?_"

Hikari's lips compressed as Shinji jumped, and she let her shirt fall back into place, turning to face the music.

Or rather, the enraged visage of Asuka Langley Souryu.  "I hit my hip on the table," Hikari said levelly, taking in the other girl's flushed face and clenched fists, "Ikari was just looking at it for me."

"I told you to wait in my room," Asuka hissed, casting a glance at Shinji out of the corner of her eyes and pulling her towel tighter around her body.

Hikari smiled apologetically at Shinji.  "Night, Ikari," she said kindly, letting herself be dragged off.

Shinji looked confused, but managed to raise one hand in a timid, uncertain wave.

"What were you thinking?" Asuka demanded as she closed her door, "He was all over you!"

"Oh he was just making sure I wasn't hurt," Hikari said quietly, "why are you getting all freaked out?"  She leaned closer to her friend.  "Is there something going on between you and Ikari?"

"_No!_"

Hikari shook her head as the redhead tore her dresser open and yanked out some clean underclothes.

"Really!" Asuka snapped, "He's a pervert, I'm telling you!  I don't know why you would think I'd like someone like him."

"I like him."

The Second Child stiffened.

"I think he's a nice guy," Hikari murmured quietly, watching her friend's responses very closely as she added, "I mean, I _like_ Touji… but I think Shinji's very nice."  The only reason, she decided, that she could see some of the tension leave the other girl's shoulders was because she was looking for it.

"He's… ok," the redhead admitted reluctantly, pulling her panties on and tossing her towel to the side, "but he does look at me all the time…"

Hikari smiled at the sullen defiance in Asuka's voice.  "Can you blame him?" she grinned.

"Well of course not," the other girl said imperiously, slipping her arms through her bra straps and fastening the clasp, "I _am_ worth looking at, you kn-"

"So why are you all bent out of shape?"

Asuka blinked, unprepared for Hikari's sudden, straightforward attack.

"Why does it bother you so much if a nice guy appreciates you?" Hikari pressed quietly, picking Asuka's tee shirt up off the bed and offering it to her.

"It doesn't… I don't mind being appreciated," Asuka sighed, taking the shirt and pulling it over her head, "but I don't like little boys like that, Hikari – you know that.  I like older guys… like Kaji."

"Ahh yes," Hikari smiled, "the elusive Mister Kaji you keep talking about."  She raised a hand as her friend's expression darkened.  "Now don't get mad," she said quickly, "I'm not saying you made him up – Miss Katsuragi talked to you about him when you were doing that dance thing with Shinji, remember?"  She waited for Asuka to nod before concluding, "I'm not telling you that you should go jump Ikari… just… maybe be a little nicer to him?"

Asuka slowly pulled a pair of shorts out of her dresser.  "Maybe…" she conceded quietly.

Hikari sighed with relief.  "Fair enough," she said quietly.  "Hey, why don't we all watch a movie together or somethi-"

"Now," Asuka cut in, giving her friend a light punch in the shoulder, "you're pushing it."

Hikari laughed.  "Ok, ok," she said easily, "you don't have to get violent!"

Asuka relaxed a bit more, grinning as she murmured, "Alright… I won't hit you anymore…"

The class rep caught the glint in her friend's eyes a moment too late.  "No!!" she laughed, trying to retreat as the redhead lunged, digging her fingers into her sides and tickling her mercilessly, "S-stop!!"

A maniacal cackle was the only reply as Asuka continued her assault, and soon Hikari was helpless on the bed, howling with laughter.  She lay panting as the girl finally relented, smiling down at her and breathing hard herself.  _Friendship…_ she thought, gazing up into Asuka's brilliantly clear blue eyes, _trust… why am I the only one she's given these things?_

Abruptly she sat up, almost embracing the other girl before restraining herself.  "Can you still see the scratches on my cheek?" she asked awkwardly, averting her eyes as her friend pulled back slightly.

_Friendship…_ she thought once more, smiling as the girl assured her that her injuries were barely visible, _and courage…_

Asuka gasped as Hikari leaned further forward, carefully embracing her.  "H-Hikari!"

"Oh stop," Hikari said quietly as the girl squirmed, "I'm just saying thank you…"

"You're welcome," the redhead said quickly, ceasing her struggles and briefly returning the class rep's hug before pulling away from her.  "Man," she grumped, "I didn't know you were all touchy feely."

Hikari grinned.  "You thought I was going to kiss you."

Asuka blushed immediately.  "No I didn't!" she protested, "I was just… I did not!"

Hikari laughed.  "Don't worry," she said dryly as the girl took another step back, "I'm _pretty_ sure you're safe from me, Asuka."

In spite of herself, Asuka sighed with relief, drawing another laugh from her best friend.  "Oh shut up…"

Falling back on the bed, Hikari continued laughing.  

_Friendship…_

Continued…

Hikari's Excess Baggage

Hikari here.  I hope you liked this week's Contact – I know I did.  Getting closer to a friend can be painful and frightening sometimes, but it's so worth it.  Today on Excess Baggage we have two scenes.  The first is the originally scripted sequence where I confront Asuka about liking Shinji.  It was changed when the director decided that it was a little too clear what Asuka's feelings were.  The second scene… well, I hate to admit it, but it was my idea.  We were shooting the scene with Asuka and I in her bedroom, and I just thought it would be funny to see her response.

I should have known she'd find a way to turn it around!

_Begin first sequence:_

Hikari smiled apologetically at Shinji.  "Night, Ikari," she said kindly, letting herself be dragged off.

Shinji looked confused, but managed to raise one hand in a timid, uncertain wave.

"What were you thinking?" Asuka demanded as she closed her door, "He was all over you!"

"Do you think he's cute?" Hikari asked lightly, putting on a thoughtful, somewhat dreamy expression, "I think he's cute… and he's so gentle…"

She watched Asuka from the corner of her eye, suppressing a grin as the girl paled.  "No," Asuka snapped, "I don't.  He's just a dufus stooge!"

_A stooge you like,_ Hikari thought confidently, _but you'd never admit that to me, would you?_  The smile that had been threatening to appear on her lips never materialized as the angry expression on her friend's face hinted that, _You don't even know what you feel…_

"Do you think he likes me?"

When Asuka's eyes widened, Hikari's mind was made up.

"Asuka?" she said quietly, waiting until the girl stopped insisting that Shinji did _not_ like her before murmuring, "you know I like Touji, right?"

_End first sequence._

_Begin second sequence.:_

Asuka gasped as Hikari leaned further forward, carefully embracing her.  "H-Hikari!"

"Oh stop," Hikari said quietly as the girl squirmed, "I'm just saying thank you…"

"You're welcome," the redhead said quickly, ceasing her struggles and briefly returning the class rep's hug before pulling away from her.  "Man," she grumped, "I didn't know you were all touchy femplhf!!"

Her eyes widened in comical shock as Hikari yanked her back into her arms and planted a wet, smacking kiss on her lips.  "There!" Hikari said grandly, "Consider yourself thanked!"

Asuka rolled her eyes, then clasped her hands in front of her.  "Oh Hikari-sama!" she squealed, throwing herself at the other girl and hugging her tightly.  "I never knew you cared!  Kiss me again pleeeeeeeasssse!!"

"Ahh!!" Hikari cried, fighting not to laugh as the redhead puckered her lips and crossed her eyes.  "Get her off me!!  Cut!! P-please!! Ok, you win!!"

"Mah Hik-hik-hikawreee!!" Asuka drawled, leaning forward and licking the other girl's forehead, "Ah luuuuv ewe!!"

"Ewwww!!!" Hikari screamed, "Make it stooooooopp!!"

"Cut!"

_End second sequence._

Ahem, as you can see… my little plan backfired a bit.  I'm glad they cut when they did, because it would be hard to explain to my grandkids why there was footage of my friend drooling on me.  Yeah, she went on for another couple minutes.  Sheesh.

Anyway, I hope you liked this week's story.  Be here next time for Can I Be Like You?

And I told you this one would be longer!

See ya next time!

Pre-read on this contact was courtesy of Ryoma… well, it was more grudging than courteous, but I still have to say thanks… -_-

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	6. Contact 6: Can I be Like You?

Disclaimer: see part 1 for full disclaimer.

The Complexities of Human Interaction

By Random1377

Contact 6:  Can I be Like You?

_Man this place gets quiet at night…_

Hikari crept through the apartment as quietly as she could, casting a wary glance at Shinji's door.  It had only been fifteen minutes since the boy had gone to sleep, but she thought she could hear him snoring.  "Must have been tired," she mused softly, gently pushing a paperback out of her path, "Asuka sure was."

The redhead fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, leaving Hikari awake and not the least bit tired.  On the contrary, she felt uplifted… euphoric.

It had turned out to be a great day.

_Sure it took some work,_ she thought, slipping into the kitchen and reaching for the fridge handle, _but I think Ikari knows that I-_

"Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"M-miss Katsuragi!" Hikari exclaimed, covering her heart with her right hand as she whirled to find the woman sitting at the kitchen table, "you scared me."

Misato took a sip from the can she was holding before replying, "Yeah, and it was pretty damn funny, too."  She eyed the girl as she tried to recover from her shock.  "Isn't tomorrow a school day?  It's past midnight, Hikari."

"I wasn't really tired," Hikari shrugged, "I don't sleep that much anyway, even at home."

"You should try," the woman said gravely, taking another drink, "sleep deprivation can kill you…"

Hikari nodded, averting her eyes as she whispered, "Are you… talking from experience, Miss Katsuragi?  It might not be my place to say this… but you look wiped out…"

Misato gave the girl a ghost of a smile.  "You're right," she said quietly, swirling the can around for a moment, "it's not your place."

The class rep blushed, turning around and opening the fridge.  "Sorry…" she whispered, rummaging around for a moment and pulling out a gallon of milk, then grabbing a foil-covered plate off of the counter.  With a hesitant smile, she walked to the table and put the plate and jug down, taking the seat next to the purple-haired woman.

"What's that?" Misato asked, nodding to the plate and emptying the can in one long pull.  "Leftovers?  'Cause I'm not hungry."

Hikari shook her head, grinning as she pulled the corner of the foil back.  "How's that look, Miss Katsuragi?" she whispered conspiratorially, "Shinji made them."

A more honest smile lit the Major's features as she examined the plate's contents.  "Now _those_," she said quietly, "look great."

With a mock bow and a flourish, Hikari pulled the foil back, revealing a perfectly symmetrical stack of brownies.  "He said to make sure you got some," the girl winked, "so I was just going to have one."

"You sneak," Misato chuckled, shaking her head, "he would have figured it out, you know – look at how he arranged them."

"Oh he said we could have some," Hikari clarified, taking one of the brownies and offering it to the woman.  When she reached for it, Hikari softly added, "But he probably told us four times when he was making them that he hoped you would like these…"

Misato's hand wavered a minute, then she took the desert, setting it on the table in front of her.

The two women sat in silence, considering the small brown square.  "Your father called me at work today," Misato whispered suddenly, rolling the can slowly between her palms.  "You have a… doctor's appointment day after tomorrow at four."

Hikari swallowed.  _I'm not supposed to know about… about that,_ she thought, recalling the conversation overheard at her own front door.

"I had a physical for school," the girl said, trying to sound light, "just three weeks ago."

The can between Misato's palms made a crinkling sound as the woman unconsciously applied more pressure, and had it been a bottle, Hikari was sure it would have cracked – or else Misato would have been peeling at the label, an alternate form of tension release.

"It's not for that…"

Hikari flinched slightly, unprepared for the woman to volunteer the truth.  "W-what's it for then?" she asked unevenly.

Misato's tired brown eyes met hers.  "Your father gave me temporary stewardship of you," she said quietly, "Do you know what that means?"

"He… gave you custody??" Hikari gasped, feeling her world gray slightly.

"No, no," the older woman shook her head, "stewardship – it means that he's given me written permission to do whatever I feel necessary to ensure your health and wellbeing as long as you're in my house.  You're still his child, and you're still going home when the time is right, but while you're here…" she took a deep breath.  "While you're here, I have the right to do what I feel is right in order to ensure your safety… do you understand?"

"I… I think so," Hikari stammered.

_Don't,_ she thought as the woman took a deep breath, _don't tell me the truth!  Lie to me!  Tell me it's something else!  Don't remind me of everything that's bad after I had such a good day!  Please?  I know I have to go… but don't say it so plainly – let me pretend for another day…_

Misato, it seemed, did not hear her mental plea.

"You're going in for a psychiatric evaluation on Saturday," she said quietly, pushing the empty can away and leaning back in her chair to fold her arms.  "As your father's… stand-in, for now," she said reluctantly, "I think you have a right to know this… and to be prepared."  She met the girl's eyes.  "After the evaluation, you will meet with your sisters and an intermediary."  She shook her head slowly, reaching across the table and taking the young woman's hand.  "I don't know what will happen after that, Hikari," she said honestly, "but you're welcome here if… if things don't… go well…"

Hikari swallowed, her eyes fixed on the empty coffee can as she replied, "I don't want to go, Miss Katsuragi…"

"I wouldn't either," Misato said gently, squeezing the girl's hand, "but you have to work this… this situation with your sister out.  Even if you feel like you have to come back here, that's fine, but you can't just run away from your problems, Hikari – you have to face them."

Hikari averted her eyes.  "How was work?" she asked dully.

Misato sighed, releasing the girl's hand as she pulled it away.  "Like a nightmare…"

Immediately sensing the other woman's pain, and deciding it was better to shift the focus from herself, Hikari asked, "Is it anything you can talk to me about?  I'd be glad to listen…"

_Anything,_ she thought as the woman considered this, _anything to keep me from thinking about Saturday…_

"Another Child was found today," Misato whispered, taking the can and rolling it between her hands again, "another… pilot."

"Oh…" Hikari nodded, "like… Asuka and Shinji?"

Misato nodded.  "I can't say much more about it," she mused, "a lot of it's classified – and please don't tell them, ok?  Shinji will just start moping about how EVA affects everyone, and Asuka will start planning how to beat him…"

"My lips are sealed," Hikari promised solemnly.  "So the new… Child," she said softly, "do you know if he's nice?"  She smiled as Misato looked confused.  "If he's going to be piloting with Shinji and Asuka, I'd hope they all get along."

She blushed as Misato whispered, "You're sweet, Hikari, you know that?"

"Not sweet enough, I guess…" the girl said sadly, "or my dad wouldn't think I'm crazy…"

Misato sighed.  "He doesn't think you're crazy," she said quietly, "he loves you very much, and he's worried about you – that's all."

Hikari slowly re-covered the brownies, smoothing the foil carefully and deliberately before murmuring, "And… I can come back here if I need to…?"

"If you need to," Misato nodded, "but I think it would be better if you found a way to work things out, you can't keep run-"

"-ning away," Hikari finished for her, grinning weakly, "Yeah, I think I get it."

Misato rubbed her eyes.  "Sorry," she muttered, "I'm so used to dealing with Shinji…"

"Does he run away a lot?  I can't picture that."

The older woman frowned.  "You know," she said thoughtfully, "he doesn't anymore… but when he first got here, he ran away more than once… it was a rough time."

"I'll bet," Hikari agreed, "it must have been hard for him to be all alone in a place he didn't know surrounded by people that all wanted something from him."

She met Misato's wide eyes unwaveringly.

"Don't you think?"

_I know you meant it was hard for YOU,_ she thought, watching the woman closely, _have you even thought about how he felt at all?_

"Yeah," Misato grumbled, blushing faintly as her mind came to the same conclusion as Hikari's, "I'm sure."  She hesitated for a minute, then asked, "Hikari… are you…" she met the girl's eyes, "interested in Shinji?"

"Am I… oh not like that," Hikari said quickly, "he's… nice, and I want to be his friend, but I think…" she sighed, "well, there's this guy at school that I kinda sorta really like…"

"Kinda sorta, huh?" Misato winked, "Is he as cute as Shinji?  Because I'll tell you, if he wasn't so young, I might go for it myself."

"You…" Hikari took a deep breath, trying to remind herself that the woman's policy on matters of closeness was not the same as hers.  "You like him that much?"

Misato smiled, slowly turning the brownie in small circles on the table.  "Yeah… I do."

"Well," Hikari said slowly, "To- this guy's kind seems like he's tough at first, but he's always really nice when he thinks no one's looking…"  She blushed and lowered her eyes, "I might even… you know – that other L word…"

"Oh…" Misato whispered, her smile growing a bit wistful, "well… does he know that?"

Hikari laughed softly.  "Do I seem like the type of girl to just go up to a guy and say 'hey how about it?'  I'm not like-" she snapped her mouth closed before the word 'you' could escape.

"Asuka?" the purple-haired woman offered helpfully, arching an eyebrow and taking a bite of the brownie.  "Tell Shinji I liked them…" she murmured around the mouthful, "and give me a glass… these are rich."

Hikari did as she was asked, pouring the woman a glass of milk and putting the jug back in the fridge, her appetite suddenly gone.  _I almost told her who,_ she thought tiredly, _and then, if she told Shinji… he might have told Touji – not on purpose, I'm sure, but it might have come out somehow…_

There was a moment of quiet as the two women thought of the same boy, their reasons, though, as different as night and day.

"So," the girl said softly, taking the plate and putting it back on the counter, "are you driving me on Saturday, or is my dad coming to get me?"  She forced a smile, "Or do I need to take the bus?"

"Your father said it was up to you, actually," Misato informed her.  "I can drive you there if you want, but I have to work so I can't drive you back…"

"Can… Shinji ride with us?" Hikari asked impulsively.

"Well," Misato said quietly, "that's his day on watch, so it _would_ probably be easier if I just dropped you off and took him to NERV – that way I wouldn't have to come back for him."  She raised her eyes.  "Why not Asuka, though?"

Hikari shrugged uncomfortably.  "She doesn't run away."

"I don't follow…" the purple-haired woman admitted.

"You said Shinji used to run away," Hikari said softly, lowering her eyes, "maybe… if he rides with and I can keep remembering that he's not running away anymore… I can be stronger."

"You're weird."

Hikari blinked and looked up, finding the woman smiling as she stood up.

"Your logic is all kinds of screwed up," Misato said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I like it."

Hikari chuckled.  "Th-thanks…"

"Go to bed," Misato instructed.  "Trust me – in the morning, this whole thing won't look as bad as it does now."

"Yes ma'am," Hikari bowed.

"I thought I told you to stop that," Misato chided.

"Can't help it," the girl shrugged, "I'm used to showing respect to old people."  She covered her mouth as the woman glared at her.  "Just… just kidding," she giggled, "maybe _you_ should get some sleep too, Miss Katsuragi."

"Maybe I should," Misto grumbled, "now get out of here before I wake Shinji up and tell him you want to share his bed."

"You… you wouldn't!" Hikari gasped, scandalized.

"Try me," the woman grinned wolfishly, cupping her hands around her mouth.  "SHIN-"

"I'm going!!" Hikari yelped, scurrying out of the room, "Night!!"

Slipping into Asuka's room, she sighed, grinning as she heard Misato's full throated laugh.

_How does she keep from waking everyone?_ She thought, making her way to Asuka's bed and slipping under the covers, _They must be used to it I guess, but-_

She gasped as Asuka suddenly rolled onto her side, embracing her and shivering violently.  "A-Asuka…??"

The redhead's face was screwed up into a mask of pain, and her shaking grew more pronounced as a weak sob escaped her.  "Mama…" she moaned, "don't… please… _mama_!"

Hikari clenched her eyes closed.  _God…_ she thought, a wave of pity washing over her, _oh God, Asuka…_

Hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around the girl.  "Shh," she whispered, stroking her hair, "don't cry… I'm… I'm here, Asuka… mama's here…"

Instantly, Asuka calmed, snuggling against Hikari with a content sigh.

For three endless hours, Hikari held her friend, stroking her hair and staring up at the ceiling as she thought of all the problems surrounding her.  From friendship, to family, to thoughts of where she belonged, her mind relentlessly poured over every aspect of her life.  And when she finally managed to fall asleep, she was still holding Asuka tightly to her chest, though if it was for the redhead's comfort, or her own… she no longer knew…

Continued…

Hikari's Excess Baggage

Hi hi – Hikari here!  Man, poor Asuka!  And I thought I had it bad.  Not much Excess Baggage today – just a quick little prank that Misato and Shinji played on me on the set.  I was so mad!!  Hope you like it!

_Begin sequence._

Hikari nodded, averting her eyes as she whispered, "Are you… talking from experience, Miss Katsuragi?  It might not be my place to say this… but you look wiped out…"

Misato gave the girl a ghost of a smile.  "You're right," she said quietly, swirling the can around for a moment, "it's not your place."

The class rep blushed, turning around and opening the fridge.  "Sorry…" she whispered, rummaging around for a moment.  She was just moving the milk to the side when a hand reached out of the back and grabbed her arm.

With a shriek the girl grabbed the closest available item – a block of cheese, as luck would have it – and hit the hand as hard as she could.

"Did you get that?" Misato laughed, "Please, someone tell me we got that on tape!!"

Hikari groaned as Shinji's laugh echoed the purple-haired woman's.  "Oh very mature," she griped, peering through the prop-fridge to find the boy's grinning face.  "Was this her idea or yours?!" she demanded.

"Mine," Shinji laughed, "she wanted to have my head in here, but we couldn't talk props into changing the set that much."

"I should have known," Hikari grumbled, blushing as a chorus of laughs sounded from all around her.  "I'm going to my trailer, you as-"

"Cut!"

_End sequence._

Ahem, yes, well… I guess I have a little trouble taking a joke.  Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this week's Contact, and be sure to come back next time for Can I Hold Your Hand?  And maybe there'll be some fanservice!!  …Misato? Have you been changing the script!?

See ya!

Pre-read on this Contact was by Ryoma, who doesn't know that brownies keep longer in the fridge and can always be thrown in the microwave to warm them up if you need to ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	7. Contact 7: Can I Hold your Hand?

Disclaimer: see part 1 for full disclaimer.

The Complexities of Human Interaction

By Random1377

Contact 7:  Can I Hold Your Hand?

"Hey, Horaki!"

Hikari groaned, burying her face in her pillow.  "Just… gimme ten more minutes…" she murmured.

"Well I would," came the sarcastic response, "but I'm kind of attached to my boobs, and at this point – so are you!" 

Hikari's eyes sprang open, showing her an expanse of pink, slightly damp flesh.  

"Ahhh!!"

"Well at least I know you're straight," Asuka muttered as Hikari yanked herself off of her chest, "though I have to admit, it was very flattering when you muttered, 'I love you' in your sleep."

"I… I did?" Hikari yawned, rubbing her bleary eyes.

"You did," Asuka confirmed, pulling her shirt closed at the top.  "I… HOPE you were dreaming about someone else."

Hikari yawned again, trying to recall what, exactly, she had been dreaming.  There was a train, she could remember, and a little girl that looked like Nozomi, and also…

"Wasn't you," she murmured thickly, "it was… geez, it was a boy, but no one I know."

"Huh?"

Hikari yawned again, shaking herself and trying to wake all the way up.  "It was like… well, I thought it was Ikari at first, but then it was Touji, and then it was kinda… both, you know?"

"No," Asuka said dryly, grabbing a handful of tissue and patting at her chest with a marked lack of subtlety, "I don't know.  You're a freak."

Hikari chuckled weakly.  "Yeah, sorry about that…"

"My maiden's purity," Asuka muttered dramatically, "sullied by my best friend.  …I feel dirty."

"Oh stop," Hikari grumbled, "I said I was sorry."

Asuka stretched, tiring of the game as she tilted her head back and sniffed the air.  "Mmmm," she sighed, "damn that smells good!"

Hikari found that she could not argue this point.  "What is that?" she asked, wishing her mouth would not water _quite_ so much.

"I don't know about you," Asuka muttered, slipping out of bed and making for the door with a devilish grin, "but I'm gonna go find out!"

Her friend returned the grin and moved to follow her, but paused just inside the room, glancing back over her shoulder at the bed they had shared.  _Do you think about her every night, Asuka?_ She wondered sadly.  _Well… as long as I'm here, I'll try my best to be her for you, ok?  That's what friends do._

"Hik_ari!_ Come on!!"

She jumped at the note of annoyance in Asuka's voice.  "C-coming!!"  She hurried into the kitchen, blinking as she found a very somber-faced Shinji standing at the stove, alternately stirring a pan containing miso soup and a skillet full almost to overflowing with vegetables and meat.  The table was already set with three place settings, and a small bowl of hardboiled eggs was sitting in the middle of it, looking picture-perfect next to a neatly arranged plate of French-toast.

"Interesting combination," Asuka observed, drawing Shinji's attention, "what happened?  Couldn't decide between Eastern and Western?"

Hikari bit her lip as Shinji simply stared at her for a moment before turning back to the stove.  "It just all sounded good," he said quietly, lowering the heat under the vegetables.  "I figured whatever we didn't eat, we could take for lunch."

She stole a glance at Asuka, relieved to find that she was not the only one that found Shinji's quieter-than-normal attitude unnerving.  "I'm going to use the bathroom real quick," she said softly, "be right back."

Asuka nodded.  "K."

Hikari stepped out of the kitchen, but hesitated, staying by the door and being as quiet as she could.  _It's not eavesdropping,_ she told herself, listening intently for any conversation, _I'm just… checking up._

Her patience was rewarded a moment later when Asuka murmured, "So what's up?"

Hikari blinked.  _I've never heard her talk to him like that before,_ she thought, _she's still being herself – and acting like she expects an answer NOW – but she sounds almost… nice._

Shinji's reply was almost as surprising.  "Misato's mad at me for something," he said quietly, answering with only a brief hesitation, "I don't know what I did, but she was really quiet this morning, and she wouldn't look at me."  There was a short pause.  "She left without breakfast."

"Well, she's got that trip," Asuka pointed out thoughtfully, "and she finally realized that 24 hour watch idea sucked, so she's probably got to figure out a new schedule… but she never skips breakfast – so that IS kinda weird."

"I know," Shinji said softly, "I just don't know what I did to make her mad."

Hikari felt her heart clench as her friend answered, "Screw her, Shinji… you didn't do anything wrong.  She's probably on her period or something.  I was home all last night, and I know you didn't do anything stupid – unless you waited until I was in bed."

_So much for being nice,_ Hikari thought, barely resisting the urge to slap her forehead.

"Then why wouldn't she look at me?" Shinji asked uncertainly.  "She didn't look at me once when she was getting ready to go – and I could hardly hear her when she said goodbye because she muttered it." 

"Oh who cares what she thinks?" Asuka said coolly.  "You worry too much, Shinji – really.  You know you didn't do anything wrong, so it's probably something with her, right?  Don't sweat it."

Hikari found that she was smiling as Shinji murmured, "Thanks."

_Wow,_ she thought, hurrying to the bathroom before Asuka started yelling for her, _they really DO sound like they're married sometimes!  And she's actually NICE to him when she thinks no one's looking – but still not TOO nice._  She shook her head.  _Man, if she would just talk TO him sometimes…_

When she came back into the kitchen, she found Asuka nibbling on a piece of French-toast and staring thoughtfully at the table in front of her.  "Looks great," she said honestly, giving Shinji a little smile as he looked at her over his shoulder.

"Go ahead and get started," he said lightly, "the rest will be done in a minute."

"You're too slow," Asuka said suddenly, winking at her friend behind Shinji's back, "I expect my breakfast on the table when I wake up, Third Child – it _is_ one of your chores, you know."

"Sorry," Shinji replied sheepishly, "I'll do better, Asuka."

_Just like that,_ Hikari thought wonderingly, _just a few words when no one was looking, and he's smiling again._

"Man, you look like hell," Asuka said suddenly, nodding to Hikari, "how late were you up??"

Hikari blushed, shrugging uncomfortably as Shinji studied her over his shoulder.  "It took me a while to get to sleep," she said awkwardly, shifting on her seat.  _Partly because I was holding you, _she added mentally.

"Here."

She looked up as Shinji put a plate in front of her and piled it high with steaming vegetables.  "Oh I can't eat that mu-" Hikari started to protest.

"You need it," Shinji cut in gently, "it'll help you wake up."

Hikari nodded quickly, more to get him to turn his attention to Asuka than because she agreed with what he was saying.  _She looks like she's ready to kill us both,_ she thought, remembering their conversation from the night before as Asuka's eyes narrowed slightly, _I don't care what she says… she likes him.  Hell, she might not even know it, but he's not 'just some guy we go to school with.'_

"Did you get that social studies paper done?" she blurted suddenly, unnerved by the dark expression on Asuka's face.

"Yeah, mine's on disk," Asuka shrugged, handing Shinji her plate with a slight frown, "what about you, Third Child?"

Shinji nodded.  "Yeah," he replied, turning the stove off and untying the apron he was wearing, "I turned it in yesterday, because I wanted to-" 

"Suck up?" Asuka offered sarcastically.

Hikari laughed.  "Maybe he has a crush on the teacher."

_That's better,_ she thought as Asuka started giggling and Shinji stammered a denial, _it was so serious in here – and over what?  A little extra food on a plate?  It's not like he's asking me out or anything, and you keep saying you don't like him _She sighed to herself as Asuka asked if Shinji had Miss Mizuho's home number_. So complicated._

"Mmm," Asuka quickly swallowed a bite of her breakfast, "it's getting late – I'm gonna get dressed real quick."

Hikari nodded.  "Gimme a sec," she said, grabbing an egg and tapping it smartly on the table to crack it, "I'll come with y-"

"Just eat," Asuka cut in, giving her a wink, "you can drool on my boobs in gym."

"Asuka!!"

Hikari blushed as Shinji's jaw dropped open.

Asuka just laughed.  "Back in a few."

There was an awkward silence in the kitchen as the redhead departed.  _I can't believe she said that, _Hikari thought, pushing her food around on her plate, _why is she so different when it's just us?_

"So," Shinji said finally, sitting down across from Hikari and staring down at his plate, "you and Asuka, huh?"

"No!!" Hikari said quickly.  "She was just kidding, Shinji – come on!"

"You make a cute couple."

Hikari ground her teeth.  "You're impossible," she muttered, taking a bite of her egg, "you pilots, I swear!  Do they give you a course in taunting when they strap you into that giant robot, or does it just come naturally?  Because you and Asuka are right up there in making me feel like an idiot!"

Immediately, she knew this was the wrong thing to say.  The playful smile that had been lingering on Shinji's lips fell away, and he bowed his head, paying far closer attention to his food than any normal person should.

_Aww damn it!_ Hikari thought, _Don__'t__ start hiding again – you're always so cool when it's just us, don't change because I said something stupid._

After several minutes of quiet, Shinji pushed his plate away and stood.  "Better get lunch ready," he said softly, starting for the other side of the room, where three empty bentos were arranged in a neat line.

Hikari only hesitated for a moment.

Shinji gasped as the class rep grabbed his hand.  "Wha-"

"Have lunch with us today," Hikari said quickly, "you know, you, me, Asuka, Touji, Kensuke – let's all have lunch together, ok?  With all this food, there should be plenty for everyone, right?"

_Wow this is awkward,_ she thought suddenly, averting her eyes as Shinji gaped at her, _but screw it – I can live with it if it means staying close to you. _She blushed at the need in her own thoughts._ Damn,_ she thought tiredly, _lose a little sleep, have a fight with your sister, and you just get all kinds of clingy, don't you?  Good thing it's not him I like, or-_

"What are you doing?"

_Aww man!_

"Geez!" Asuka complained, brushing past Shinji and retaking her seat.  "Leave you two alone for five minutes and you're all over each other!"

Hikari blinked… then remembered that she was still holding Shinji's hand.  "It's not like that!" she said quickly, shaking her head for emphasis, "We were just… I was… we… damn it – it's not what it looks like!"

Asuka just rolled her eyes.  "You don't have to explain yourself to me, Horaki," she mumbled, casting the two a withering glance, "it's not like _I_ like him."  She turned away, ignoring Shinji's downcast face and her friends fumbling attempts to clarify the situation.  "I'm gonna go turn in that paper, you guys finish making out or whatever.  Later."

_It's like a bad comedy,_ Hikari thought sadly, watching Asuka shoulder her bag and stride out the door, _I like Touji, Asuka likes Shinji – but she thinks I like him too, no matter how many times I tell her that I just want to be his friend… and no one, me included, really talks to each other.  We all just go around, doing the same things every day, and pretending that we're close to each other.  _She sighed regretfully.  _If Asuka was really my friend, shouldn't she trust me?_  She frowned.  _If I hadn't had that fight with Kodama and started staying here… would I even care?_

Hikari swallowed, closing her eyes tightly as another thought occurred to her.

_Shinji's still holding my hand…_

Continued…

Hikari's Excess Baggage

Hello again – Hikari Horaki here!  Long time no see, huh?  Well now that the summer's over, it's back to work for us!  I hope you liked this installment, even if it was a little on the short side, but how about that ending, huh?  Man, it IS getting complex, isn't it?  And wait until the next show, when Touji… oops, almost ruined it!

Ok, this week's Baggage gives us a little deleted scene between me and PenPen.  Hope you like it!

_Start sequence:_

_Wow,_ she thought, hurrying to the bathroom before Asuka started yelling for her, _they really DO sound like they're married sometimes!_

On the way back, she nearly tripped over PenPen, giving a short yelp as she stumbled and fell backwards, rubbing her backside with a pained expression as the penguin glared reproachfully at her.

"Wark!"

"Sorry!" she said quickly, patting the bird on the head, "I was just… I've got a lot on my mind, you know?"

PenPen looked sympathetic.  "Wark wark!"

"Well at least someone understands," Hikari laughed, smoothing his feathers thoughtfully, "I don't suppose you know why the Major's upset, do you?  She was so intense last night.  And Shinji's so serious this morning – Asuka too!  It's like everyone's walking on eggshells here, and I don't know what to do about it."

"Wark wark, warrk," PenPen replied.

"You're a genius," Hikari grinned, pretending she could understand, "just do my best and it will all be ok?  Thanks."

With a final pat, she rose to her feet and headed into the kitchen.

_End Sequence._

The idea behind this scene was to show that the tension in the apartment is kinda on the rise, and being kind of an outsider, it's a little more visible to me.  The director decided that it was a little too vague, though, and besides… the next two episodes will deal with why everyone's been so tense.

So!  That's it for this week!  Be sure to tune in next time for Can I Ask You Why?  And I'll try to save some lunch for you!

See ya!

This contact was pre-read by Ryoma, who said something like, "Make the next one longer you slack-jawed yokel!!" 

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	8. Contact 8: Can I ask you Why?

Disclaimer: see part 1 for full disclaimer.

The Complexities of Human Interaction

By Random1377

Contact 8:  Can I Ask You Why?

Avoidance, Hikari decided, needed to be her keyword as Friday morning stretched endlessly before her.  _Could this get any worse?_ she thought miserably, glancing from Asuka (who was staring at the chalkboard with a little too much interest) to Shinji (who seemed to be just looking away every time her eyes found his).  _And Touji's out too!  Man, the only way today could be worse is by being tomorrow!_

She sighed, trying to forget that Saturday would bring her face to face with her sister Kodama, shatterer of eardrums and stomper of feet – the very bane of her existence.

_If it wasn't for that fight, I'd be sleeping in my own damn bed!_ Hikari thought angrily, _And__ if I was sleeping in my own damn bed, my best friend wouldn't think I was a bisexual floosie, bent on stealing the guy she claims she can't stand!  Damn it – this is ALL Kodama's fault!_

She closed her eyes, keeping them shut for a minute and taking a deep breath before forcing them open.

_Plus I'm soooo tired…_

"Ayanami?"

Hikari looked over her shoulder, frowning as she noticed that Rei was not at her desk.  "She's absent, Sensei," Hikari said, rising to her feet, "I'm sorry I didn't report it sooner."

"No, no," the teacher said patiently, "I understand Miss Ayanami's commitments.  Please sit back down."

"Thank you, Sensei," Hikari bowed, taking the chance being upright gave to glance at Asuka's face.

What she found was not soothing.

_Oh, she looks like she's pissed!_ she thought nervously, retaking her seat, _I'll talk to her on lunch – Shinji too… damn it, things are getting all messed up!!  Gotta…_ she yawned broadly, _gotta__ get it all straightened out… forget avoiding it, I need them both to know… how I feel…_

Hikari yawned again, sitting up straight in her seat and rolling her shoulders in an attempt to revive herself, then slowly, gradually slipping lower and lower until finally, her eyes rolled closed.

"Miss Horaki!"

Hikari's eyes flew up and she jerked upright, bowing quickly as she found her teacher standing directly in front of her desk.  "Yes Sensei!" she said quickly, "Everybody rise… bow… dis-"

"Miss Horaki," the teacher cut in patiently, "class has been over for five minutes."

Hikari glanced around, finding only a handful of students – most of them snickering at her – in the classroom.  "I'm… sorry, Sensei," she said awkwardly, frowning as she noticed that neither Shinji nor Asuka was present.  "It won't happen again."

"I'm sure that it won't," the teacher sighed, hesitating a moment before adding, "I understand that you're having a hard time at home right now, Miss Horaki, so we'll just… pretend this never happened."

"Thank you, Sensei," Hikari bowed, gathering her books into a neat stack on her desk and reaching under her seat to grab her bento as the teacher nodded and walked away.

She froze as she happened to glance out the window.

_Is that… Ayanami?_ she thought, confused.  _Why is she talking to Touji?_

She stared up at the pair of youths, trying to puzzle out what they could be discussing – and why they would need the privacy of the school's roof to do it.  "Probably just… talking about an assignment," she told herself, knowing that this explanation was about as plausible as Touji deciding that he wanted to take up floral arrangement.

Rei, to Hikari's knowledge, did not seem quite aware that she was in school at all.  She almost never turned in her homework, barely paid attention in class, and never – as far as Hikari knew – filled out more than half of a test before going back to staring out the window.  It was almost as if the girl looked at school as an inconvenient distraction, forced upon her by whatever guardian (Hikari had never met him or her) she had at NERV, and tolerated with totally unconcealed boredom and apathy.

_But the teachers don't seem to care,_ Hikari thought absently, frowning as Touji's lips moved, clearly saying something to Rei through a small, amused smile.  _And is she… blushing??_

"Hey Hikari!" a voice called from the doorway, "You wanna have lunch?"

Hikari nodded.  "O…ok," she said uncertainly, taking one last look at the two before turning to find, "Asuka??"

"Who did you think it would be?" the redhead asked testily, "Joan of Arc?"

"Well… I thought you were mad at me," Hikari mumbled, averting her eyes.  "About… about this morning."

"I'm not mad at you, stupid," Asuka grumbled, "it's just… oh forget it – I'll tell you some other time."

Hikari nodded, sensing that – for now, anyway – Asuka's anger was not directed her way.  "Alright," she said quickly, "let's get Ikar-"

"No," Asuka cut in flatly, "I don't want to see him right now."

Too tired and confused to argue that she had invited him to eat with her, Hikari just nodded, glancing back up to the roof and finding it empty as Asuka started towards the door.  She did not see Shinji as they wandered through the halls to the exit, but she dared not mention this to Asuka for fear of having a sharp barb or snide comment hurled her way.

Once outside and seated comfortably on the grass, Hikari decided to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between them.  "I just… saw Ayanami talking to Touji," she said reluctantly.  "They were pretty close," she risked a look at the redhead, finding her unpacking her lunch with a carefully neutral expression.  "Do you think she was asking him out?"

"No," Asuka replied immediately, not looking up from her food as she broke her chopsticks apart.

"She blushed," Hikari pressed softly, "and… and he was smiling, and-" 

"Look," Asuka cut in, scrubbing a hand over her face in a clear sign of annoyance.  "You know how bad Shinji is with talking to people right?  Well if Shinji's lead when it comes to stuff like that, Wondergirl's off the atomic scale!"

"Really?" Hikari asked hopefully.

"Yup!" Asuka said decisively.

And for a moment, Hikari had the distinct impression that Asuka had forgotten about whatever was bothering her.  The moment passed, though, and the smile that had formed on the redhead's lips faded away, leaving her with a distant, decidedly unhappy air.

"What do you see in that stooge anyway?" Asuka whispered, slowly stirring her lunch with her chopsticks.

Hikari blushed as she remembered the warm, gently concerned expression on the boy's face whenever he talked about his sister.  "I see his sensitive side," she said, turning away and trying to hide the color in her cheeks.

"Whatever," Asuka sighed, "hey listen, me and Shinji have to go in to NERV after school, so here."  She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small key card. "We should be back before dinner time."  She began gathering up her bento, concluding, "And we'll have someone else with us, so don't freak out."

"Who?" Hikari asked uncertainly, taking the key with a frown as her friend rose to her feet.  "And umm, what about lunch?"

Asuka regarded the closed box for a moment before whispering, "A babysitter – and I'm not that hungry anymore." She turned away.  "I'll talk to you later, Hikari, and really… you should forget about that stooge, ok?  He's… it… you should just forget him."

"Wait!" Hikari called, but her friend ignored her, striding quickly back towards the school without once looking back.

_Well that was… weird,_ Hikari thought, picking at her own lunch with the tips of her chopsticks, _I don't think… ASUKA couldn't like Touji, could she??  No way!  But it makes sense, kind of, I mean-  She_ cut the thought off and shook her head.

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever come up with," she told herself, trying to ignore her clamoring thoughts, "I think Asuka would rather go out with Ayanami than Touji."

This brought a small smile to her lips, and she hurried through her lunch, hoping to catch Shinji on the way back to class.  Unfortunately, when she did spot him, he was walking with his friend Kensuke… and when she waved at him, trying to get him to come talk to her, he lowered his eyes and pretended not to see her.

_Great,_ she thought with a mental groan, _now he's all shy again – I just can't win!!_

With no way to get the boy to talk to her, Hikari simply let it go, hoping to catch him between classes.  Her hopes went unfulfilled, however, as Kensuke manipulated Shinji's time, repeatedly asking him about 'the new one' and saying 'I could do it if they would let me!' to which Shinji simply shrugged.

As the last bell rang, Hikari found herself no closer to resolving any of her issues than when the day had begun – and it seemed that in spite of her best efforts, she had somehow managed to end up with _more_ on her mind than when she had dressed.

_At least I don't have cleanup duty,_ she thought glumly, waving halfheartedly as Asuka hustled Shinji out of the classroom, clearly complaining that they were going to be late, _so I can go straight home… well, you know – back 'home.'_  She sighed as she gathered her things.  _I guess it's ok to call it home for now,_ she thought, slipping her books into her backpack, _I'm sure not going to MY house until… well, until after tomorrow anyway._

Hikari blinked as she found herself in a most unique situation: it had taken so long to get her things together that she was alone in the classroom, and since she knew Asuka and Shinji were not going to be home when she got there, she decided that maybe she could linger a little longer – just to unwind a bit.

"What do you look at all day, Ayanami?" she mused, wandering to the back of the class and sliding into the blue-haired girl's seat.  "Nice view," she whispered, resting her chin in her palm as she had seen the other girl do so often, "wow… you can see pretty much everything from here, can't you?"

Hikari smiled as she glanced out the window, letting her mind wander.  From this angle, she could see most of the school grounds and much of the city, giving her a fairly unobstructed view of the sunset.  With all of the things on her mind lately, she did not have much of a chance to appreciate anything strictly on an aesthetic level, and while the city itself – all glass and steel and bustling crowds – was not beautiful… the outlaying area certainly was.

_Mountains,_ she thought idly, _so heavy… but even that can change if you give it enough time.  Blue sky… stretching on forever, just a few clouds… so pretty.  Sun… only one Sun – unique in the universe, like the people I know… each one of them like a flower in a field, just existing without purpose.  Beautiful… but pointless…_

She blinked as she realized that she was on the verge of tears.

"Yeah, you really do have a good view, don't you?" she murmured, wiping at her eyes as she rose to her feet.  "You just keep watching the world, Ayanami… I can't blame you for not wanting to do your schoolwork when you've got such a nice view – and you guys have so much on your minds already that…" her voice trailed off as she spotted someone out on the school grounds.

_Timing!_

Quick as a flash, Hikari grabbed her school bag and hurried outside, feeling her heart swell as her ruminations on the First Child's motivations were instantly forgotten.

This was her chance.  Maybe she _could_ resolve something today, if she was strong enough.

She dashed through the school, waving to the few remaining students still cleaning their rooms and pausing at the front door to catch her breath before strolling – casually – outside.  "Hey Suzuhara," she whispered to herself, walking boldly towards the lone figure on the basketball court, "I was just thinking that… if you're not busy… we could…"

She swallowed, catching the boy's profile as he bounced the ball once, twice, and finally a third time before holding it up over his head, a determined smile lighting his features as he let the ball go.

_Swish._

"Suzuhara…?"

The tentative murmur was far quieter than the bold approach Hikari had planned, but now that the silence was broken, she felt that she had to press forward… though she still could not bring herself to follow her original path.

"Didn't see you in class today," she said lamely, "everything ok?"

_Stupid,_ she berated herself as the boy stooped to pick up the ball, _stupid stupid stupid!  _

"Yeah, it's alright," Touji shrugged, bouncing the ball a few times before putting it up once more, "I had something I had to take care of for my sister."

_Swish._

Hikari nodded as the ball bounced off the concrete and rolled slowly back towards the young man.  _Of course,_ she thought, feeling suddenly embarrassed, _she's been in a NERV-run hospital since her accident… so he was probably asking Ayanami to check up on her._  She warmed to this idea immediately, ignoring the fact that it was rather full of holes and concentrating on the positive convenience of it.  _And he wouldn't ask Asuka, because they don't get along,_ she reasoned, _and he probably didn't want to bother Shinji, since he's got so much on his mind lately… yeah, that makes sense!_

"Well, I'm glad things are ok," she said honestly, trying to gather up the courage to ask something more substantial – like 'it's pretty late, how about some dinner,' or 'hey, since I'm headed that way, let's walk to the train together' or maybe 'I really like you, and I want to go out with you some time.'

_Right, _she thought dismally, _like I could ever say that…_

"Heard you're staying at the Devil's place," Touji said suddenly, sounding as if holding up a conversation was taking a great deal of effort on his part.

"Yeah," Hikari nodded, "I had a fight with my sister."  Inspiration struck with all the force of a lightning bolt.  "Hey, I'm just headed back there to cook dinner for Shinji and Asuka… your dad's working tonight, right?  Why don't you come with – it'll be… it'll be fun."

_Yes!_ She thought triumphantly.  _I did it!  I DID it!!_

Her moment of victory was short-lived.

"No thanks," Touji said coolly, "I gotta go do something tomorrow."  He shook his head ruefully, not noticing Hikari's slumped shoulders.  "I'd really rather hang with you guys than go – believe me… but I have to do this, ya know?"

Hikari nodded as he threw the ball once more.

_Swish._

"I understand," she said lightly, "maybe umm… another time."  She brightened.  "I'll bring you some leftovers tomorrow."

"Not gonna be here," the boy sighed, "it's an all day thing."

"Oh," Hikari replied.

_At least he'd rather hang out with… us._  She contained her sigh, wishing 'me' could replace 'us' in that thought.

"Well, ummm… I'll see you Monday then, I guess," she said hesitantly.

_Coward,_ she thought angrily, _just ask him out!  You were halfway there anyway!!  Just say, 'Hey, let's hit a movie when you get back!' or something – do it!  You know Asuka would!_

Sadly, she realized, she was not Asuka.

"Guess so," Touji replied easily, "see you around, Class Rep."

Hikari waved… but the young man did not see her as he was too busy scrambling after the ball.

_Why is it so hard?_ she thought, entirely frustrated.  _I want him to know I like him… but I can't even talk to him for five minutes without blushing – not that he noticed, of course._

"See ya," she sighed, heading slowly towards the exit to the school grounds.

When she glanced back to the courts, she found Touji back at the free throw line, setting up for another shot, and for some reason… the sight of him alone on the hard, unyielding cement filled her with sorrow.  Trying to shake off the feeling – and telling herself she _would_ ask him out some day – Hikari headed for the train station, feeling suddenly very alone, and very, very unhappy.

Continued…

Hikari's Excess Baggage

Hey, Hikari Horaki here!  Sorry for the long wait, but it seems that the director had some type of personal issue he had to deal with before we could roll on this contact.  Please accept our humble apologies.  

For this contact, we have something a little fun!  Touji kinda thought the scene between me and him was a little depressing, so he… well, I don't want to spoil it, just see for your self.

_Begin Sequence:_

Her moment of victory was short-lived.

"No thanks," Touji said coolly, "I gotta go do something tomorrow."  He shook his head ruefully, not noticing Hikari's slumped shoulders.  "I'd really rather hang with you guys than go – believe me… but I have to do this, ya know?"

Hikari nodded as he threw the ball once more.

_Swish._

"I understand," she said lightly, "maybe umm… another time."  She brightened.  "I'll bring you some leftovers tomorrow."

There was a moment of silence, then Touji muttered, "The only thing that'll be left over is you."

"Huh??"

Touji grinned as he turned to face her.  "You and me, baby… right now."  He caught the ball on its next bounce and tossed it to a surprised Hikari.  "Show me what you got – one on one!"

"Are you serious?!"

"As a heart attack!" 

Hikari dropped her bookbag and stared at the ball.  "Are we still rolling?" she asked suddenly.

"Yes," an exasperated voice called from off-screen.

"Good," Hikari muttered.

Before Touji could react, she shot past him, dribbling twice before firing the ball into the air.

_Swish._

"Yeah, keep it rolling," the class rep said sweetly, "and I want a copy of the tape showing Suzuhara crying like a baby when I school his ass!"

_Swish.__  Swish.  Swish._

For the next three minutes, the sound of leather and lace passing through the net was the only sound that could be heard… the only sound besides the increasingly annoyed cries of disbelief.

"She's a freak!" Touji's shout echoed through the set.  "What are you, some WNBA genetic experiment gone wrong?!"

"Don't start crying yet," Hikari replied, bouncing the ball off the backboard before slamming it through the hoop, "you mess with the best, you suck like the rest motherfu-"

"Ok, cut!"

_End Sequence._

Ahem, yes, well… as you can see, I tend to get a _little_ competitive when I'm challenged.  Ahem!

So!  Tune in next week for How did it Come to This?

…and in case you were wondering, I _destroyed_ Touji 21-9.  Hey, the kid's good – just not as good as me.

See ya later!

Pre-read on this contact was by Ryoma, who is _positive_ that he would beat Hikari on the court.  Sure you would, man… sure you would… ^_~  Oh, and a note on Touji's sister's location – I know in the show that he agrees to pilot to move her to a _better_ hospital, but I figured since she was hurt in an EVA related accident, she might already be in a hospital _owned_ by NERV… though maybe not the _best_.  *shrug* so that's my story, and I'm sticking to it! :P

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com 


	9. Contact 9: How Did it Come to This?

Disclaimer: see part 1 for full disclaimer.

The Complexities of Human Interaction

By Random1377

Contact 9:  How Did it Come to This?

Hikari hummed to herself, glancing over her shoulder to check the time display on the microwave before turning her attention back to the wok in front of her and frowning a bit as her mind informed her that Asuka and Shinji were now _ten_ minutes late.  "Don't know why I'm in such a big hurry to see them," she muttered under her breath, "I blew Shinji off at lunch, and Asuka's been acting weird all day."

She stirred the contents of the wok carefully, then lowered the heat down to medium and covered it, absently licking a drop of soy sauce off of her thumb as she turned around to check the table.  _Four place settings,_ she thought approvingly, _Me, Shinji, Asuka, and… the babysitter._

Hikari chuckled to herself, recalling the sour look on Asuka's face that afternoon.  "Well you _are_ kind of childish sometimes," she said softly, "maybe you _should_ have a babysit-"

She cut herself off as the rattle of keys reached her ears.

"We're home!"

"Welcome home," Hikari called, lifting the lid to the wok and checking the contents, "I'm in the kitchen."  She turned from the stove, taking a breath to say 'dinner will be ready in a few,' but the words died on her lips as she found herself face to face with a tall man with a five-o'clock shadow and a short ponytail.

The two stared at each other for several seconds.  _He's… handsome,_ Hikari thought, noting absently that Shinji and Asuka were standing behind the man, watching her with almost identical, bemused expressions, _he looks so… I don't know, worldly I guess.  Like he's seen it all.  And those eyes!  I could look at those all da-_

With a small cough, the man held out his hand.  "Miss Horaki, I presume?"

"Oh, yes," Hikari stuck out her hand, blushing as she overshot and ended up clasping the man's wrist, "Hokari Hiraki.  Er, I mean, Hikari Horaki, sir."

"Ryouji Kaji," the man laughed, shaking Hikari's forearm, "it's a pleasure."

"Yes," Hikari nodded, now entirely flustered, "it is.  I mean, ummm…" she took a deep breath, forcing a smile and inclining her head politely, "please come in.  Would you like something to drink?"

"And that's Hikari," Asuka said with a devilish grin, "see? I told you she was fastidious."

Kaji laughed as Hikari colored even more.  "A drink would be great," he grinned, "Shinji do you… hey, where'd he go?"

Hikari nearly slapped herself in the forehead.  _I didn't even notice him leave,_ she thought with a mental groan, _'Yeah, Shinji, I want to be your friend… but I'll be sure to ignore you and drool every time a cute guy walks past.'  Yeah, I'm the best._

She blinked as Asuka let out a discreet yawn, turning away so that Kaji did not see her.  "So what do you want, Asuka?  Coffee?" she asked, taking great pleasure in the dark glare the redhead shot her.

_Man, no wonder Shinji's down,_ she thought, checking the wok again and turning the heat all the way off, _I brush him off, and this is the guy he has to compete with.  And Asuka's all over him!_  She frowned slightly.  _Well, I guess he's not really COMPETING, I mean Misato…_

Her thought were interrupted as she realized, "Misato's not going to be back tomorrow morning!"

Kaji and Asuka exchanged a glance.  "Well, it WOULD be kind of hard," Kaji pointed out thoughtfully, "Matsushiro is pretty far away… and she is there for a reason, you know."

"I know, I know," Hikari said quickly, "I just… she was going to give me a ride to… to my appointment tomorrow."

"Ahh, that," Kaji said sagely, "I can drive you, if you want."

"That would be," _how does he know where I'm going??_  "…nice, thanks."

Kaji nodded.  "So what are you cooking?" he asked, smoothly changing the subject, "Smells great."

"Chicken Teriyaki," Hikari replied, nervously unveiling the dish for Kaji's approval, "it's my mother's recipe… I hope it came out right, I've never tried to make it before."

"Looks good to me," Kaji said, nodding as Asuka muttered something about changing her clothes and slipped out of the room, "can I try it?"

Hikari shook her head.  "You'll burn yourself," she said in a lecturing tone, "give it a few minutes."

"Aww, you're worse than Katsuragi," he grumbled, "but I'll bet your food is at least edible."

"That's… horrible!" Hikari gasped.  "Isn't Miss Katsuragi your-" she cut herself off as Kaji's attention focused fully on her.

"My what?" he asked gently.

"N-nothing," Hikari stammered, entirely flustered, "I just… Asuka told me that you… and Miss Katsuragi… I'm sorry."

"No, go on," Kaji pressed, folding his arms, "I'm always interested in hearing gossip – especially about me."  He flashed her a huge smile.  "Look up narcissistic in the dictionary and you'll find a picture of me."

Hikari bit her lip, wishing the man would avert his watchful gaze… but when it became clear that he was not going to give up, her shoulders slumped and she whispered, "Asuka said you and Miss Katsuragi were dating."

Kaji nodded.  "Good," he said firmly, "maybe she'll stop hitting on me then."

"Wh-what??" Hikari sputtered.

"Oh don't play innocent," Kaji winked, "you're her best friend.  You know she's been trying to get me to go out with her since we lived in Germany, and from what she's told me… you've been trying to discourage that, so I guess I should be saying thanks."  Ignoring the girl's stunned expression, he concluded, "But Katsuragi and I are, unfortunately, not _currently_ an item… I'm only telling you this because you're staying here now and she'll probably get irritable if hints were dropped that we are, _not_ so you can go tell Asuka, right?"

Hikari closed her mouth – which had somehow swung open as Kaji was talking – and nodded.  "Right," she agreed quickly, "so, umm… here, you can try it now…"

Kaji sighed.  "I can see that you're a force to be reckoned with," he said approvingly, "you adapt to changes quickly… and you know the way to a man's heart."

"Thanks…"

Fidgeting with one of the loops on her jeans, Hikari studied the man's profile.  _I can see why Asuka is so crazy for this guy,_ she thought.  _He's cute, he's charming, he knows how to make you comfortable… and… he knows it – he knows exactly how good looking and charming he is…_

She averted her gaze, slightly unnerved by the depth of this observation.

"Light."

"Hmm?" Hikari looked up, finding Kaji carefully extracting a piece of chicken from the wok with a pair of chopsticks.

"Light," Kaji said quietly, blowing on the morsel to cool it.  "Hikari means light, right?"  When she nodded, he continued, "I think… things might get kind of strange around here after tomorrow… a little darker than usual.  Do you think you can be their light for a while…?"

Hikari shifted from one foot to the other.  "I don't… I don't understand," she said nervously, wishing suddenly that Asuka was there with her – not because she was afraid of the man, but more to help her understand.

Asuka always seemed to understand adult matters – and this felt like an adult matter.

Kaji sighed, popping the chicken into his mouth.  "No," he said, chewing thoughtfully, "I guess you wouldn't would you…"  He shook his head, turning to face her and offering her a sad smile.  "All I'm saying is that if things get… tough around here, remember who your friends are and try to help them out, ok?"

This, Hikari could grasp.  "Sure," she said, nodding decisively.  She hesitated, almost asking 'what, exactly, is going to happen?' but instead finding herself whispering, "How's the chicken?"

- - - - -

Dinner proved to be a very tense affair.  Asuka spoke to neither Hikari nor Shinji, keeping her attention focused on Kaji and discussing inane subjects like movies and the weather as the other two diners quietly ate their meals.  Much to Hikari's disappointment, Shinji kept his head down throughout the evening, finally excusing himself to his room after eating less than half of what was on his plate.

_He thinks I'm mad at him,_ she thought sadly, rising to her feet to clear the dishes as Kaji announced he was going to take a bath.  _I can't apologize if you won't talk to me, Shinji.  Maybe I'll try after Asuka goes to bed – yeah, I'll make up an excuse to stay up, and I'll straighten things out with Shinji… no sweat, right?_

She finished clearing up and began filling the sink with water, but as she turned around to wipe the table, she found Asuka standing right behind her.  "Ahh!" she gasped, putting a hand over her heart, "You scared me!"

Asuka's hands were balled into tight fists at her side, and the expression on her face was clearly one of determination.  "Look," she said quickly, "About Suzuhara, I-"

Hikari waited as the redhead fumbled for words.  "What about him, Asuka?" she pressed gently as the other girl's shoulders slumped and she turned away.  "Is he in trouble or something?"

"N-no," Asuka said hesitantly, "not exactly.  He… just forget it, it's not that important."

"No, wait," Hikari said quickly, grabbing Asuka's arm as she turned to walk away.  "Tell me.  Please?"

Asuka tensed at the contact, pulling her arm free and shaking her head from side to side.  "He can tell you himself," she said after a moment of silence.  "After tomorrow…"

Hikari shivered.  _What's happening tomorrow? _she thought, frowning as her friend made her way into the living room.   _Miss Katsuragi wouldn't tell me what she was going to do… and Mister Kaji was all cryptic.  What's going to happen??_

"Maybe Shinji knows," she murmured to herself, folding her arms and leaning back against the cabinets with a thoughtful expression.  "Of course, it would be hard to get him to tell me about it, since he won't talk to me.  I guess I can't blame him… I mean, I held his hand, then invited him to lunch, then… oh why am I still thinking about this??"

She put her head in her hands, angrily pushing on her temples as a dull throb began forming under her fingers.  _Dad always said I over-think things,_ she mused; _I'll bet Shinji isn't even thinking about me at all!  I'm just being paranoid._

Hikari looked up as she heard a footstep.  "Oh, Shinji!" she gasped, pushing away from the cabinet as the boy stopped just inside the kitchen.  "Hi…"

Shinji's hands were tucked deep inside his pockets, and his voice was barely audible as he whispered, "Hi…"

"Hey, about lunch," Hikari said quickly, not wanting to lose the chance she had been given, "I'm sorry.  Asuka just-"

"It's ok," Shinji cut in quietly, "I understand."

_No you don't,_ Hikari thought immediately, _that's just something you say when you don't want to listen to someone anymore._

"Well," she murmured, "still… I'm sorry."  She offered him a tentative smile.  "Can I have a rain check?"

Shinji's eyes came up, and Hikari was surprised by the undisguised amazement in them.  _You really thought I hated you, didn't you? _she thought sadly.  _You thought I was mad at you for holding my hand, so I was avoiding talking to… no… that doesn't make sense, does it?  I tried to talk to you, but you were the one avoiding ME._  Her eyes widened as Shinji looked away once more.  _Is… that it?_ she thought slowly.  _Do you… do you want more than this, Shinji?  Is that why everyone's been so weird lately – because you… you like me??_

Even this epiphany seemed incomplete.  Some of it fit, Hikari realized, but at the same time… some of it did not.  Even if Shinji liked her 'that way' it did not account for Asuka's odd behavior, or Mister Kaji's strange warning.  No, this was not the whole story… but it certainly accounted for _some_ of what was going on.

_So now what?_ Hikari thought as Shinji finally gave her a hesitant nod.  _I like Touji – not you.  It sounds so bad when I think of it like that, but it's true… I just want to be your friend, Shinji…_ She swallowed, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks as Shinji stepped past her and opened the fridge to get out a can of juice, giving her a tentative, but warm smile as he headed back to his room.

…_don't I?_

- - - - -

Hikari kept her breathing deep and even, her fingers stroking absently along Asuka's back as the girl's breath blew against her neck.  A quick glance at the clock told her that it was not quite two AM.  Her appointment was in less than ten hours.  Asuka had been in her arms for nearly two.

"What do you dream…?" she whispered, craning her neck to glance into her friend's currently peaceful face.  "What's there when you close your eyes that hurts you so bad?"

The redhead stirred, pressing herself closer to Hikari's side and shivering lightly until the class rep breathed, 'shhhh…' and soothingly patted her head.

_How do you exist without me?_

Hikari closed her eyes, ashamed at the selfishness of this thought.  Asuka was one of the strongest people she knew – there was no way she NEEDED Hikari!  No way!  …and yet, she could not imagine how the redhead got by with no one there to hold her and tell her everything was alright.

_I wonder… if I'm hurting her, _she thought suddenly.  _She's been ok without anyone else up until now – what if she gets used to this?  Will she be able to get by without me after-_

"God, someone's full of herself," Hikari muttered disgustedly, taking a deep breath as she opened her eyes once more.  "I-"

She cut herself off as she found Asuka looking at her.

For a long, long moment, the two simply stared at each other, their slow, deep breathing the only sound passing between them as their gazes locked.  _I wonder why she hasn't started shouting yet,_ Hikari thought, feeling faint as Asuka slowly blinked.  _I might as well have just tattooed 'lesbian' across my forehead the way I'm holding her.  I'll be lucky if she doesn't KILL me.  I guess what dad said is true – no good deed goes unpunished._

The silence stretched on for a another full minute, then – to Hikari's VERY great surprise – Asuka's eyes slipped closed, and she lowered her head to Hikari's shoulder, burrowing in as close as she could get and letting out a long, shuddering sigh.  Hikari half expected the redhead to say something like, 'if you tell anyone about this, I'll kill you!!' but she simply lay still, her breath slowly evening back out as her slender body grew more and more relaxed.

When it was clear that Asuka was not going to say anything, Hikari swallowed.  _She must have been asleep,_ she told herself, feeling suddenly awkward and clumsy as she struggled with all of her might to believe this simple statement.  _There's no way she would admit that she was weak, or that she needed help… so she must have been asleep.  Yeah…_

Slowly… Hikari continued running her fingers over Asuka's back, understanding somehow that this would probably be her last night in the redhead's room.  Tomorrow, Asuka would make up some excuse for why Hikari would need to sleep on the couch.  She would say that the room was too hot, or that she had to study for something at NERV and would be up late, or that she was not sleeping very well with Hikari in the bed, or some other reason why the class rep would be better off sleeping somewhere else.

_And if I ask her about what just happened,_ Hikari thought sadly, _I guarantee she won't remember – or at least… she won't admit remembering._

With sudden bitterness, it occurred to her that she had no one in her life to hold HER when she had bad dreams.  She did not begrudge Asuka her comfort… but when was it her turn?  When did she get to cry and have someone hold her?

And damn it, why couldn't she stop thinking about Shinji?

Forcing her eyes to close, Hikari finally allowed herself to drift off, all of the conversations she had partaken in colliding in her mind and making her dreamscape a confusion of darkly murmured warnings, half-heard terms of endearment, and the inescapable certainty that she was rushing headlong towards something so large and terrifying that it would certainly crush her sanity.

When she woke to the blaring of the alarm clock, she found herself alone in Asuka's bed, the space the redhead had occupied in the night now populated with a small piece of scratch paper.  Hikari picked up the note, feeling her heart clench in her chest as she read the single, clumsily drawn kanji character.

_Arigato…_

To be concluded…

Hikari's Excess Baggage

Hiiii!!!  Hikari Horaki here.  I know it's been a while since the last show, but due to some budget problems and, well, overall laziness from the director, we weren't able to finish shooting on schedule.  The director wanted to take some screen time to apologize… but then Asuka pointed out that he isn't getting paid for this and that he should just shut up and get started on part 10 before he's lynched.

Now the Excess Baggage we were SUPPOSED to have this week was an entirely male-crowd-pleasing selection involving a certain scene between me and Asuka in a certain room in the house – and if you can't figure out what I'm hinting at… you shouldn't be reading anything more advanced than Dick and Jane have Sundaes.

So instead of pointless, sweaty yuri action… you guys get this.

_Start Sequence:_

Hikari closed her mouth – which had somehow swung open as Kaji was talking – and nodded.  "Right," she agreed quickly, "then, umm… here, you can try it now…"

Kaji sighed.  "I can see that you're a force to be reckoned with," he said approvingly, "you adapt to changes quickly… and you know the way to a man's heart."

"Yeah," Hikari nodded, "you go through his stomach!!"

With a psychotic scream, the class rep lunged forward, snatching the biggest butcher knife from the block and ramming it into a very surprised Kaji's abdomen.

"Lead my friend on, will you!?" she shrieked, twisting the knife, "all she wanted was a little kiss kiss feel feel, but nooo!! You had to be all high and mighty!  Oh, and by the way?"  She leaned closer, smiling insanely as she screamed, "I slept with your girl!  That's right, I've been doing it with Misato since I moved in!!"

This last revelation was too much for Kaji, and with a final gasp of, "That slut!!" he keeled over.

"What's all the noise?" Shinji asked as he came into the kitchen several minutes later.

"Nothing," Hikari said sweetly, humming as she casually emptied an entire box of rat poison into the evening meal.  "Dinner's almost done… go get Asuka, would you?"

Shinji shrugged.  "Sure…"

Sill humming, Hikari calmly reached over and pushed Kaji's hand back into the fridge as it creaked open, slamming it closed and thinking that the storage capacity on those new Maytag's really WAS above average…

_End Sequence._

If you can't get them with sex, throw in some violence… that's the director's motto.  What's that?  How could we throw something so gluttonously violent and pointless into this contemplative piece?  What, you would have preferred the yuri?  …oh, fine, here – we actually taped it just in case that last scene wasn't well received.

_Start sequence:_

She cut herself off as she found Asuka looking at her.

For a long, long moment, the two simply stared at each other, their slow, deep breathing the only sound passing between them as their gazes locked.  _I wonder why she hasn't started shouting yet,_ Hikari thought, feeling faint as Asuka slowly blinked.  _I might as well have just tattooed 'lesbian' across my forehead the way I'm holding her.  I'll be lucky if she doesn't KILL me.  I guess what dad said is true – no good deed goes unpunished._

Her eyes nearly popped out of her head, however, as Asuka suddenly leaned forward, capturing her lips in a gentle, warm kiss.  "Thanks," she whispered as she pulled back, lowering her head back to Hikari's shoulder.

"S-sure," Hikari managed, shivering violently as the redhead slowly began running her fingers over her flat stomach.

"Do you want more…?"

"What?!?"

Asuka raised her head.  "I said do you want more," she whispered bluntly, sliding her fingers slowly up under Hikari's nightshirt.  "I want more… do you…?"

Hikari gasped as the redhead's hands moved higher and higher, and the only word she could manage to croak out was, "…yes."

Before she quite knew what was happening, Hikari found her clothes in a pile by the side of the bed, with Asuka's hands touching places she herself had not even had the nerve to touch herself.  And before the evening was through, she knew without a doubt… that she belonged right where she was.

_End Sequence._

Happy now?  …perverts.

Anyway, look forward to the last installment of The Complexities of Human Interaction: Where Do I Go From Here? Coming… sometime in 2004.  Really!!  I swear!!  STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT, I SAID WE'D GET IT DONE!!!  God, some people!

Pre-read on this Contact was by Ryoma, who said 'Yes, damn it!  She wants more!! So –cough- when do we get the extended, fully-lemon version of that last scene??'  -sigh- some people…

Feedback is always welcome on any site with reviewing capabilities or by e-mailing random1377yahoo.com


	10. Contact 10: Where Do I Go From Here?

Disclaimer: see part 1 for full disclaimer.

The Complexities of Human Interaction

By Random1377

Contact 10: Where Do I Go From Here...?

Hikari kept her breathing low and even, glancing around the cool, antiseptically clean room with trepidation, wondering why, exactly, she was there.

"So I've been staying with… with Asuka and Shinji," she said suddenly, hastily waving her hands as she realized how loud she sounded.  "Sorry about that, I'm just really nervous."

Silence was her only reply, forcing her to shift in her chair and steal another look around.

"They're nice," she told the person across from her, "really… nice, when they're not, you know, fighting or concentrating on… on piloting…" she trailed off into silence once more, fumbling for words as her hands laced nervously in her lap.  "You… you're probably wondering what I'm doing there, huh?" she mumbled.  "I… I'll tell you, but it's so… complicated that I'll have to do it slowly."

She took a deep breath, composing herself as the clock on the wall quietly ticked away the seconds, running through her remaining time with mechanically impartial efficiency.

"Kodama and I had a fight," she said finally, glancing at the clock and marveling at how little time had passed since she had made her entrance.  "Worst one ever – period.  I… I couldn't stay at home anymore, so I just ran, and I… I ended up at Asuka's.  And I've been staying there until things quieted down at home."  She laughed weakly.  "Wow," she said lightly, "guess it's not that complex after all."

Receiving no answering laugh, Hikari let her smile fade away.  _Stupid,_ she told herself angrily, _this is no time for lame jokes!!_

'I hate you!  I wish you were dead!!'

Hikari flinched, breathing faster as the sound of shattering china echoed in her memory.

Forcing a deep breath, she continued speaking.  "It's funny…" she mused, "but two weeks ago?  I never would have guessed that life could be this hard.  And I don't mean just for me, I mean… I mean for them – they don't… they're not kids anymore… at all.  It's so sad – they have to be so grown up, but they pretend…" she sniffed, wiping quickly at her eyes as the other person kept his silence, "they pretend that it doesn't bother them.  Shinji told me the other day how he… how he had to kill an angel all by himself on the _day_ he got here – and then he asked me to pass the butter."

The class rep uttered a short, uneven laugh, pushing back at the vivid image of Nozomi's face, her eyes wide with fright as she cowered under the dining room table.

"Can you believe that?" she whispered, staring at the back of her hands and drawing in another ragged sniff, trying to keep her train of thought and not get sucked into the other memory.  "All he had was a knife – and he didn't even know if it would kill it – and now… now he's so used to death that he can talk all about it while he's buttering his toast."  She let out another, nearly-mad laugh.  "Kind of… kind of makes a little fight between sisters seem pretty stupid, huh?"  She leaned closer, her voice starting to crack as she murmured, "But you want to know the worst thing…?  The… the very _worst_ thing in the whole world?"

Trying to swallow the lump in her throat, Hikari swiped quickly at her eyes, determined to say her piece before time ran out.

"I don't-" she cut herself off, trying to stifle the miserable sob that forced its way out of her chest.  "I don't even… remember _why_ we were f-fighting!"

She buried her face in her palms, unable to contain her emotions any longer.

"Sh-Shinji's l-leaving," she gasped out, "and A-Asuka d-doesn't even c-care!" she took a deep breath, wiping her eyes as best she could. "Oh Touji," she whimpered, "I just… I don't know what to do anymore.  I thought my life was so hard, but this…" she shook her head, glancing once more at the hospital room and letting her eyes fall to the empty bed where Shinji was confined not twelve hours prior, "I had no idea what they went through, and now you're hurt, and I don't even-"

She cut herself off, quickly wiping her eyes once more as the boy in the bed groaned.

"Wha…?"

Hikari found that slipping her old 'class rep' mask back on was nearly as easy as breathing, and while it made her almost physically sick to smile, she did it anyway.  "Hey Suzuhara," she said softly, "nice to see you."

Touji stared blankly at her for a minute, as if trying to understand why she was there.  "Oh, hey class rep," he said finally, "what are you doing here?"

Though she maintained her smile, Hikari felt herself shriveling inside.  _You couldn't even think of my name, could you?_ she thought with sudden, sad understanding.  _You don't like Ayanami, or Asuka, or me, or anyone at all right now… not because you're cold, or because you don't want a girlfriend, or anything like that – you just… don't think about stuff like that.  It's not important to you because you've got more important things on your mind._  She averted her eyes, one final thought making her realize just how badly she wanted to be with him. 

_Because you're real.___

"Have to check up on you," she heard herself saying, "make sure you're ok and stuff.  I _am_ the class rep, you know."

"Oh," Touji said wearily, "I see."  He glanced over at the other bed, his brow furrowing slightly.  "Wasn't… Ikari here?" he whispered, sounding as if he was not certain of this fact.

Hikari nodded slowly.  "He was released yesterday," she said calmly, impulsively adding, "He said to say he was sorry."

This was a lie.  She had no real idea of what had happened to Touji – only that it was somehow related to EVA, and that it was top secret – but she had been in the hallway when Shinji had been led, in handcuffs, out of Touji's room, and she had seen the expression of open pain and sorrow on the boy's face as he looked back over his shoulder.

It was only a gut feeling that told her Shinji felt responsible, but the more she thought about the expression on his face as he walked away, the truer it felt.

"He…" Touji trailed off, clearing his throat with a grimace, "he didn't do anything wrong, it was the EV-" he cut himself off, closing his eyes as the door to the room slid open.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid your time is up – Mister Suzuhara needs his rest now," a rather muscular nurse said, peeking into the room with an expression that (in Hikari's opinion, anyway) indicated a definite lack of anything close to sorrow.

"Can I have one more minute?" Hikari asked hopefully.

"No," the nurse said flatly, "I've already let you stay longer than you were supposed to.  I'm sorry."

_Right,_ Hikari thought, rising reluctantly to her feet, _sure you are._

"Hey Class Rep?"

Hikari's heart clenched in her chest.  "Y-yeah?"

Touji's eyes were on the far wall, but his voice was still clear as a bell.  "Tell my sister nothing's wrong with me… ok?"

"Of course," Hikari nodded, finding herself unable to stop the wave of unhappiness that washed over her.

_Come on,_ she thought, looking back over her shoulder the whole time as the nurse ushered her from the room, _did you really think he was going to say something like 'hey, I know you like me, and I like you too!'?_

Even as the door slid quietly shut, Hikari realized that this was exactly what she had been hoping for.  Coming to the realization that Touji – and Asuka and Shinji, for that matter – had more important concerns than romance and love did not soften the sharp feeling of loneliness that welled up in Hikari's stomach as she slowly made her way to the train station to return to the small apartment.  If anything, knowing that _she_ needed to be close more than they did depressed her in a way nothing had before.

Returning to the apartment only intensified her feeling of uselessness.

"I'm… I'm home," she called hesitantly, swallowing as silence welcomed her in.  "Asuka…?  Shinji…?  Miss Katsuragi…?  Is anyone here??"

A cursory scan of the apartment revealed two closed doors and a backpack that looked depressingly full.

_I guess he meant it…_

Slowly – almost robotically – Hikari made her way to the living room, gathering her few possessions and folding them carefully into the suitcase she had so quickly packed the morning after the fight with her sister.

_What WERE we fighting about?_ she thought desperately, zipping the suitcase closed and carrying it to the front door, somehow reluctant to leave just yet.  _Not a boy… she doesn't like Touji, and I don't like any of her boyfriends.  Not Nozomi – what would get Kodama mad enough about her to throw a plate??  Was it because I borrowed something of hers without asking?  That always makes her mad… but that's not it – God, why can't I remem-_

She jumped, letting out a small cry as the phone in the kitchen rang with a jarring, electronic jangle.  She hesitated for a moment, waiting to see if anyone would answer it, but when it became clear that she was the only one that cared, she hurried into the kitchen, clearing her throat as she picked up the receiver.

"Katsuragi, Ikari, Souryu residen-"

"Hikari…?"

As if a noose had been tightened around her neck, Hikari felt that she could not breathe.  "N-nozomi?" she stammered, "Umm, what-"

"Come home now, k?" her sister cut in, her voice barely carrying through the rushing in Hikari's ears.  "Kodama said… she won't yell anymore, and Daddy said whatever happened between you, we can all work it out if we're together… so come home… k…?"

Hikari clenched her eyes tightly shut; biting back her initial reply of 'they need me here,' as she knew it was not true. 

"All… alright…"

"…Hikari?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

The timidness in her sister's voice was more than Hikari could stand.  "I love you too, honey," she whispered, managing – somehow – to keep her voice even, "I'll be there soon."

She replaced the handset in its cradle, waiting until it had settled in before drawing a huge, uneven breath.  _Don't cry,_ she told herself sternly, _wait until you get home… God, HOME…_ the word seemed to echo in her mind, building and building until it was all-encompassing. 

Home – the mythical place where the heart resides… she would be there soon.  She would be back to the place she belonged, away from the pain that permeated this horrible, sad little apartment.  What had she really hoped to gain by staying here as long as she had?  She had come here to escape a fight that had seemed so dreadful, so harsh and unyielding that she thought she would not even be able to speak to her sister ever again… and now all she could think about was holding her and making it right.

This was not her place, she decided, wiping absently at her eyes as she turned to head for the front door.  _I just came here because-_

A small gasp escaped her as she found Shinji standing behind her, his eyes fixed on the phone and an unreadable expression on his too-mature features.  He opened his mouth to say something… but nothing came.  His hands, Hikari noticed, were opening and closing at his sides – like fish out of water, desperately trying to understand why they were slowly, inexorably dying.

In silence, the two teens stood, avoiding one another's eyes as the unspoken question hung in the air between them.

**_Are you leaving me too?_ **

_Don't hate me!_ Hikari thought frantically, unconsciously smoothing a wrinkle in her skirt as she continued to stare at the floor.  _I just… I can't be here, Shinji – can't you understand that??_

Before she even knew what she was doing, Hikari found herself stepping forward and tucking her fists up under her chin, leaning against Shinji's chest and bowing her head to avoid looking into his eyes.  After a moment of stunned quiet, she felt Shinji's arms clumsily encircle her, and the lid she had been trying to keep on her emotions shattered into a million forlorn fragments, leaving her sobbing in his arms.

_Home,_ she thought, giving up on the idea of trying to regain control of her raging emotions, _Daddy… Nozomi… Kodama… I'm coming home, where I belong… I HAVE somewhere I belong… God – why do I hate myself for that?!_

Realizing that Shinji, Asuka, and even Misato did not have a place to call home only made Hikari's tears come harder and faster, but there was nothing to be done but let it run its course, ultimately leaving her shaking and breathless in Shinji's embrace.  She had people who loved her… she had two sisters, yes, even Kodama, who would do anything for her… and what did Shinji have?

Nothing.  Not a single thing.  If she stayed, though, would he?  Maybe… just maybe, she could be what made this place home for Shinji – Hell, Asuka and Misato too – if she just stayed where she was.

_I… _

Slowly, she pulled back, still sniffling, and looked into Shinji's eyes.

_I can't… I'm so sorry, Shinji… I just can't…_

Hikari kept eye contact, drifting closer as her lips parted slightly, her mind whirling painfully with desperate thoughts of right and wrong.

_Oh just do it,_ Hikari thought tiredly, _I'm leaving… he's leaving… he was nice… he's cute… just do it… come on… just once… it's the LEAST you can do after running away like this!_

For a very long, very quiet moment, with her lips inches from his… she thought she might actually listen to that voice in her mind.  But even as starved for comfort and attention as she was, she could not convince herself that it was right.  After an eternity in his warm, safe arms, Hikari did manage to lean up a bit and press her lips softly to Shinji's cheek, giving him a sad smile as she stepped back, unable to face the loneliness in his eyes as she wordlessly made her way towards the front door. 

_I'm sorry…_

As far as she knew, he was still standing there when she picked up her suitcase… stepped out of the apartment… and headed for the train station, lacking the strength to so much as glance over her shoulder to see if he was crying too…

The End

Hikari's Excess Baggage

Hey, Hikari Horaki here… I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you for hanging around until the end of The Complexities of Human Interaction.  I know that this may not have been the most satisfying ending, especially for those romantics out there, so for this final edition of Excess Baggage, we have a short, alternative kitchen scene… and another of the cast's lovely 'jokes' at my expense.   Enjoy.

_Begin sequence_

Realizing that Shinji and Asuka did not have a place to call home only made Hikari's tears come harder and faster, but there was nothing to be done but let it run its course, ultimately leaving her shaking and breathless in Shinji's embrace.  Slowly, she pulled back, still sniffling, and looked into Shinji's eyes.

With great care, she freed her arms and wrapped them around his chest, her voice barely audible as she whispered, "If you say 'stay' …I'll stay."

Shinji broke eye contact, turning his head to the side and saying nothing… but as he tried to pull back, Hikari brought her hands up, lacing them behind his neck and holding him firmly in place.

"Really," she whispered, rising to her tiptoes and bringing her face closer to his.  "All you have to do," she breathed, looking from his lips to his eyes and back again, "is say the word…"

Swallowing hard, Shinji managed a cracked, shuddering, "…stay," before closing the distance between them.

Hikari closed her eyes as Shinji's lips gently touched hers, banishing all of her doubts in an instant.  _I DO belong here… _she thought, returning his kiss as honestly and openly as she could.  _I'm sorry, Nozomi… I don't think I'll be coming home for a while…_

_End Sequence_

As you can see, this is a nice little scene, but it really doesn't fit all that well with the rest of the story – and it IS a little over the top as far as sap goes. Now, here's one last scene – a final ode, if you will, to the rest of the cast's joy of driving me insane…

_Begin Sequence_

It was only a gut feeling that told her Shinji felt responsible, but the more she thought about the expression on his face as he walked away, the truer it felt.

"He…" Touji trailed off, clearing his throat with a grimace, "he didn't do anything wrong, it was the EV-" he cut himself off, an odd expression on his face as he touched his chest. "…ow."

Hikari blinked, glancing around in confusion.  "Suzuhara?" she asked tentatively.

"It's… nothing," Touji muttered, rubbing his chest with a deep frown on his face.  "I just… OW!!"

The color draining from her face, Hikari shot to her feet.  "Nurse!!" she cried, hurrying to Touji's bedside as he was seized by a sudden, violent convulsion.  "_Nurse!!"_

The blocky nurse that had allowed her in came rushing into the room.  "What, what is it?!" she demanded.

"He's… something's wrong – really wrong!" Hikari gasped, trying to hold the struggling boy to the bed.

"Oh," the nurse muttered, "don't you think you're overdoing it a bit?  This isn't in the script…"

Hikari grit her teeth.  "I'm not making it up!" she snapped, "Damn it – isn't there a physician somewhere on the set?!  Touji's really-"

"God!" the nurse cried, pointing to the boy.  "Look at that!"

Whipping her head back around, Hikari let out a piercing scream. 

A large circle of blood had appeared on Touji's shirt, and something was bulging up ominously under the fabric.  "He…lp… me!" he gasped, his eyes wide with pain.  "H…kari – _HELP ME!!_"

"Aaahhhhhh!"

Hikari shrieked as a loud squelching sound filled the room.  Her hands flew to her face as something fleshy and squirming exploded from the front of Touji's shirt, flopping onto the bed and writing around, all the while making a high-pitched, keening whine.

On the brink of fainting, Hikari barely heard someone mutter.

"Gotcha."

She blinked, glancing around with her mouth gaping open as the set erupted with laughter.  "Wh… what…?"

"Payback's a bitch!" Touji cackled, holding up the mechanical alien and giving it a kiss.  "Isn't that right, baby?  You might be good at ball, Horaki, but you scream like a girl!"

Hikari flushed bright red as the thing in his hand uttered a disgusting parody of a laugh, its shiny bald head gleaming in the harsh light from the overheads.

"Son of a bitch!"

Before anyone could react, Hikari flung herself at the boy, grabbing the mechanical alien with one hand and shoving him back onto the bed with the other.

"Crap," someone on set grumbled, "Someone get Horaki before she makes Suzuhara eat that prop!"

There was a gurgling scream from the main stage, followed by an eerie silence.

"…too late."

"CUT – _CUT! _ Get the physician on the set!  Damn it Horaki, it was a JOKE!  Hey, I SAID CU-"

_End Sequence_

Ha, ha, ha – hilarious, right?  Needless to say, I was less than impressed by this little gag.  Don't worry though, I didn't _really_ make him eat it!  …couldn't get the damn thing into his big fat mouth.

Well… that's it for me.  I had a lot of fun on this show, and I'm certainly looking forward to working with everyone again.  I'd like to thank Nozomi, Kodama, my dad, Shinji, Asuka, and everyone else that helped make Complexities the series it is.  Until we meet again, this is Hikari Horaki saying that's a wrap!

**_CUT!_**

Author's Notes: for all those of you that were expecting romance… sorry, it just wasn't that kind of story.  This was always meant to be an outsider's view of how hard things _really_ started to get during the second half of the series, and in all fairness – Hikari got to leave before things truly got out of hand.  Why didn't she just go ahead and kiss Shinji when she knew it would have done them both a world of good?  …well, it's like she told herself – it wouldn't have been right.  She never really cared for Shinji as more than just a friend, so the most a kiss could have done would be to offer him (and herself, really) a small bit of comfort.  Should she have done it anyway?  …probably, but the point of the story was that Hikari – like everyone else in the series – isn't perfect.  She makes mistakes, she hesitates, she second guesses, and ultimately… all she can do is go home where she feels safe when she knows damn well she really IS needed at the apartment.  In spite of her flaws, I hope you enjoyed the story anyway.

Pre-read on this last contact was by Ryoma, who (I've heard) has a tattoo reading 'Shinji and Asuka 4ever' somewhere on his person.  …no, I've never asked where it is.  I just… just don't want to know.

Feedback is always welcome on any site that has reviewing capabilities or by e-mailing me directly at random1377yahoo.com 


End file.
